


An Ode to Fire and Water

by KayleighPippin



Category: Naruto
Genre: Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, Boruto - Freeform, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hokage, Love, Post-War, Romance, Sasuke - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Romance, itachi uchiha - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:19:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 44,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22130164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleighPippin/pseuds/KayleighPippin
Summary: Water never waits. It changes shape and flows around things, and finds the secret paths no one else has thought about -- the tiny hole through the roof or the bottom of the box. There's no doubt it's the most versatile of the five elements. It can wash away earth; it can put out fire; it can wear a piece of metal down and sweep it away. Even wood, which is its natural complement, can't survive without being nurtured by water.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/OC, Uchiha Sasuke/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Amaya steeled her gaze and planted her feet. She drew in a breathe and filled her lungs - she felt nervous, truly afraid of what might become of her when she passed through the large door in front of her. ‘You can do this,’ she had repeatedly told herself this all morning in hopes that it might bring up so semblance of inner peace. Her hand, juddering with fear, reached for the door handle. “Go.” She implored vocally to push herself to move. She did. The door opened and bright light bathed her in warmth. She focused on the room and saw an older man sat with his fingers intertwined, she bowed to him - she had been told by her travelling companion that she must. 

“Come in, you mustn’t linger by the door.”

Amaya took careful steps inside the room, it was large, much larger than she had anticipated.

“You have come from Kirigakure.” 

Amaya gave a small nod and hoped that her words wouldn’t betray her. “Yes, Lord Hokage.” 

“I hope that you are less bloodthirsty than the stories that emerge regarding the ninja from the Mist.”

Amaya felt unwell at the thought of being likened to the vast amount of killers that hailed from her village. “I am just a child.” She watched as the man before her stood and she took a quick step back in defence.

“You do not need to live your life looking over your shoulder any longer, Amaya Haruko.” He extended his hand in gesture to look from the large windows, “Konoha is a gentler place than most…” he trailed off in thought, “but strong.”

Amaya inhaled sharply the air of her new home and hoped that she might be accepted by her peers. “Will I go to school?” She asked.

“Of sorts.” He smiled. 

*****

“She’s from Mist, don’t play with her.”

Amaya swallowed the hard ball in her throat. 

“Look at her worn her clothes are - does she live on the street?”

“And where are her parents?”

Amaya bowed her head to her elders as she was taught when she walked through the gates of Konoha a year ago. She took careful steps to evade as many onlookers as she could, until her feet took her to the outskirts of the village. She often walked long into afternoon - her training would always begin at sundown in the forest. She knew no other children, she was trained by men and women in masks. She ran her fingers along the hard bricks that marked the boundary to a huge complex. She knew it belonged to a large clan, but she had never had the chance to ask who they were. Walking the length of the wall she passed a grand entrance lined with red wood - she dared not pass through the open gates but she wanted to look at least. 

“We don’t often receive visitors here.”

Amaya jumped a few feet to her left and gazed upon a young man a few years older than her and a child similar to her own age. She looked hard a the taller of the two, she scanned his face for any inkling that he might cause her harm - but his face seemed kind, his eyes were black as well as his hair but his skin was as white as moonlight. He wore similar garb to that she was used to seeing, ‘he must have a mask too,’ she thought. 

“Who is that?”

Amaya’s eyes fell from the taller man to the boy, his features were the same but his eyes seemed less heavy. “I’m Amaya.” She introduced herself. A pursuit seemed like a good option, she usually didn’t get too far in conversation before she was being pushed away.

“I’m Itachi, this is my brother-…” Itachi ruffled his brother’s hair, “His name is Sasuke.”

Sasuke scowled and looked at Amaya, “You’re not from here.”

Amaya felt a familiar sting and she bowed her head in respect and prepared herself to make her leave.

“She’s from Kirigakure, she is training in the ANBU - she’s a very gifted child.” Itachi explained to Sasuke without taking his eyes from Amaya. “Isn’t that right?”

Sasuke gawked, “why does she get to go to training with you and I don’t?” Sasuke pointed at Amaya and narrowed his eyes, “What’s so special about her?” He sneered, “She doesn’t look gifted.”

Amaya felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, she wasn’t accustomed to being treated as such. “I’m sorry to have disturbed-…”

“I’m sorry about him, Sasuke gets very jealous over those who are better than him.” Itachi smiled and took his brother by the hand, “Mother is waiting so we better get home.” He bowed his head to Amaya as Sasuke ran on. “it was nice to have met you, Amaya, please don’t take to heart whatever cruel things my brother says. I hope one day you will be friends.”

Amaya dared not say that she hoped they would be friends too, she was taught never to show loneliness or pain. She gave a small smile to Itachi and bid him a silent farewell. She watched after him as he headed within the walls of the large complex, she wondered what kind of family he belonged to and also to what kind of power he wielded to be in ANBU as well. She smiled as she drank in the view before her - spanning buildings, bustling life and large, beautiful cherry blossom trees and beyond that a sinking orange sun. She disguised her hope with a heavy sigh and set her feet towards the village gate for training. 

***** 

“The Shrike?” Sasuke chewed on the name before a smirk consumed his lips, “It sounds a bit rubbish.”

Amaya gawked at her friend, “are you kidding me? Shrikes impale their prey on sticks and pick at their flesh - that’s cool.” 

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, “Will you be eating people?”

“Well no but-…” 

“Then you’re not a Shrike.” Sasuke said plainly. He folded his arms and leant against the large tree they were sat in. “Besides, your jutsu is water based - not wood.”

“Don’t discount water as being less than any other nature - water gives life.” Amaya rolled her eyes and huffed, “I should have guessed you would be completely unimpressed with the fact that I have a codename and you’re just a genin in a little squad.” 

Sasuke mocked her expression before pushing off from the tree, “I’ve got a mission to go on.” He said in his usual dulcet tone. “And if you were nearly as gifted as your ego believes you to be you would be on a mission too and not hanging around in trees with a genin.”

Amaya inhaled levelly and hopped down from the tree, she watched Sasuke go and tried to push down the pain of watching him walk away. She shook it off and let her feet take her away - she walked to the outskirts of the village. Her eyes fell upon the remains of the Uchiha compound. It had been five years since Itachi had massacred the clan. Amaya felt a chill run through her bones at the memory of Sasuke’s anguish and at her own heartbreak that the man she considered to be her saviour had torn down so many lives - and that even the ones he had left behind were in absolute peril because of him. She thought of his kind smiles, his gentle encouragement and his wise words and how it all been a prelude to a destruction unlike any other in Konoha’s history. 

***** 

Amaya inhaled a long and calm breath, she looked out over Konoha and listened to the cheering of the villagers as the war heroes returned - a precession she was unable to join, she was not a war hero. In the crowds she saw many faces she did not recognise, their faces glad and ablaze with pride at the uproarious ovation from the city. Some walked strong and tall, others hobbled but carried smiles and overjoyed hearts - others were carried and managed a wave…and some, hundreds it would turn out to be, returned in shrouds.  
The afternoon passed into early evening and Amaya remained on her perch watching over the city - she looked to her right arm, it wore deep wounds and could not handle even the weight of itself. 

“Amaya…”

She looked up and saw Naruto - his eyes were wide and in awe, “You look a mess.” She smiled as she stood to greet him. As she pulled back her gaze settled on the space where his right arm used to be and smiled to relieve the tension in her clenched jaw. “We’re almost twins.” Her eyes welled with tears, “Naruto-…” 

“I thought you died.” Naruto sobbed as he pulled her back into his arms, “nobody knew where you were.” He looked upon Amaya and he had his rolling tears wiped from his dirty cheeks, “what happened?” He implored.

Amaya lowered her regretful eyes and tried to think of a way to tell him, “I wasn’t able to protect the village I loved…” She halted her trembling words, “I was taken captive.” 

Naruto’s brow furrowed in question. 

Amaya looked down at her feet in sorrow. “I went after Sasuke and I was set upon by-…” She clenched her jaw. “It doesn’t matter now, the man responsible is dead.” Amaya felt her face contort with the agony of remembering what she had been through at the hands of Konoha, “I came here as a 6 year old girl, frightened and alone - I was isolated by everyone for years, the villagers were scared of me. Itachi and Sasuke, Mikoto and Fugaku were the only people I actually had a chance to grow up with…Sasuke was-…Sasuke betrayed us all and he caused all of this…” She trailed off clenched her jaw, “Did he die in the war?”

Naruto glanced with a smile to the space where his arm used to be, “almost.” He said with half a smile, “he’s where I should be right now…” Naruto’s eyes carried to Konoha Hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

Some weeks had passed since the shinobi of Konoha had returned. Many had had their wounds treated in the hospital and were slowly getting back to rebuilding their lives. There was a quiet that hung over the village hidden in the leaves - almost like the deep breath before the plunge. Whispers in the wind worried immensely about what would happen next.Funerals were held for those who had lost their lives, their names etched into stone and the hearts of everyone.   
Naruto walked the streets, he had been restless for some time. He thought about how his life would change in the coming months. He walked the tree lined road that headed to the gates of Konoha, it had been his favourite road to walk down as a child who fervently plotted escapes - he wanted to live in the trees away from the resentful eyes of the village. As a Genin it was the road that lead to missions with his friends. And now, as a hero, it reminded him of what he fought for…he glanced over his shoulder and saw the towering, colourful buildings that made his home. 

“I heard that you’re going to be getting a new arm.”

Naruto glanced back to the gates and there waited his friend, clad in black. “I heard that you’re refusing a new arm.” 

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and looked long out of the open gates. “I’m leaving.”

Naruto scowled, “I just brought you back. Do you really think I would let you leave again?”

“You don’t have a choice.” Sasuke sighed, “Kakashi is taking over as Hokage and he has allowed it.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, “so the last five years have been for nothing?”

Sasuke shook his head.

“What reason do you have this time?” Naruto pressed.

Sasuke inhaled slowly, “I need to be forgiven.”

Naruto frowned in frustration and took a step closer to Sasuke, “everyone has forgiven you already.”

Sasuke shook his head again.

“Then who?”

Sasuke’s eyes fell and he looked at the paved floor at his feet, a gentle breeze carried the fallen leaves past his toes and towards the gate and out of the village. “Me, Naruto.” It was almost a whisper that left his lips, “I need to forgive myself for everything I have done…and I can’t do it here. Not when there are threats out there.” He pointed through the open gate. He felt anxious, immeasurably so. 

Naruto closed his eyes for a solemn moment before he let them look upon Sasuke again. “When?”

Sasuke held Naruto’s gaze. “Tomorrow.” He said and watched as Naruto turned his back and walked towards the bustle of the village. He looked once more to the gates before he too turned away from them.   
He wandered the streets for a few hours before his feet settled in front of a small well of stairs. He climbed and ambled down a long walkway until he stopped at a wooden door. He knocked.   
“I know you’re in.” He said after a minute of silence and after just a few more seconds the door opened and stood before him was an old friend. She had been a girl when he had left her, and now a woman stood in her place. “You have a bad arm too.” He remarked when he looked at her scarred arm. He felt a sting in his chest when she didn’t smile. 

Amaya looked Sasuke up and down before her eyes settled on his. “Can I help you?” She asked monotonously.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow before he scoffed at her attitude. “Don’t behave like that-…” he pushed past her into her home. “I’m here to make amends.” He slipped his feet out of his shoes and took off his long, dark cloak, much to Amaya’s visible displeasure. 

Amaya watched Sasuke with discontent, she was repulsed that he made himself a tea without her even offering. She glowered at him when sat down and began to study her belongings with interest. She folded her arms and leant against a wall. “Are you going to get on with it or are you planning on moving in?” 

Sasuke took a sip of the hot tea. “I left you and I’m sorry for that.”

Amaya pursed her lips and chewed on his words, she thought for a brief moment to forgive him and pick up where they had left off - she remembered her feelings for him but with sudden upset she pushed it all aside, “I’m not accepting that attempt. I deserve more than that.” She leant forward and bared her teeth, “you didn’t leave me, you abandoned me. You were my family, Sasuke. You let me languish here without you for years - I didn’t have many chances to come and look for you because those ANBU bastards tried to keep me away. They didn’t assign me missions so that I would have to stay here - in the end I ran, I defected and have since been branded a criminal.” She inhaled jaggedly, “they found me before I could find you…”

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes, “who found you?”

Amaya snorted, “who do you think? Danzo. I was held prisoner by him even after you killed him - I when word hit Konoha that the war was won and his goons let me go and fled the city.” She clenched her jaw, “I’ll kill them if I ever see them again.” She clutched her arm and let out a quick grunt. “I can’t use my jutsu, Sasuke, they carved me like I was a piece of meat.”

Sasuke stood and crossed the gap between them, he reached for her hand and she was hesitant at first but she eventually relinquished her inhibitions. Stood beside her he noticed just how tall he had become, when he left she had been taller than him. “You’re chakra points have been blocked, they’ve severed nerves and rendered the arm useless.” He noticed the tone of the skin to be grey, just like her messy hair, “you need to get this looked at.”

Amaya sighed despondently, “I don’t know anyone who could heal something like this.”

“I do.”

*****

Sakura glanced at Tsunade and then back to Sasuke, “why should we help?”

Sasuke’s glared hard at Sakura, “she is injured, you heal people.”

Tsunade leant back in her chair, “you are more than capable to handle this yourself, Sakura. Figure out what needs to be done and do it.”

Sakura clenched her jaw but bowed her head to her mentor in respect of her order. She walked to the door and motioned for Sasuke to follow her. Once cleared of Tsunade’s office Sakura slowed to a stop. “What happened to her to get those kind of injuries? She didn’t help at all in the war effort.” She reminded Sasuke of just how dishonourable she thought Amaya was for not aiding Konoha in its time of need. 

Sasuke looked pointedly at Sakura before he carried on walking. “It doesn’t matter how it happened.” He rounded a few corners and could feel Sakura reluctantly trailing behind him until they found their way to the entrance - outside Amaya, bathed in warm sunlight, stood looking up at the trees. He wondered then if she had always looked that serene or that he had just never paid that much attention. “Amaya.” He called her name as he walked into the brilliant sunshine. “Sakura has agreed to help.”

Sakura bowed her head. “Reluctantly.” She felt suddenly angered realising that she would have to spend significant time with someone she couldn’t abide. 

Amaya tried not to let her face contort into a scowl and she looked to Sakura, “when do we start?” She asked steadily.

Sakura let her emerald eyes look upon Amaya, in truth it had been some time since she had encountered her - she felt oddly pleased that Amaya looked so frail and broken. “I will need to examine the arm first before we start any treatment. Please come back here tomorrow for the examination, I will then process the results of my findings and we will go from there with a treatment plan.”

Amaya held her silence for a moment. “So it probably won’t be an easy fix.” 

Sakura chewed on an insult for a moment before swallowing it. “In truth it already looks like the flesh is dying. How long ago did this happen?” 

Amaya looked to Sasuke and then back at Sakura, “I will see you tomorrow then.” She took a swift exit away from the hospital. She took a few corners and cut through a few alleyways until she found a quiet place to breathe. A shudder overcame her body and she sunk to her knees, she felt utterly desolate and weak. Never had she felt so incapable to defending herself or others. After a short while she felt a presence behind her and she felt her heart thud. “Can you come with me to my appointments?” She looked up through the gap in the buildings so that she could see the blue sky. “I’m afraid I’ll bury something in Sakura’s mouth without someone to hold me back.”

“I intend to leave tomorrow.” Sasuke said softly. He watched as Amaya’s body tensed up again - he sensed that she hadn’t made herself that vulnerable in a long time.

Amaya smiled and nodded. She stood quickly and gazed long at Sasuke - despite her anger she wanted to look at him one last time, to remember how he was and to learn of what he was now. She felt tears crawling their way to her eyes, “at least you told me this time.” She laughed as the tears broke. “I haven’t seen you in five years and I only get one day before you tuck tail and run?” She exhaled aggressively and bared her teeth. “I’m ashamed to know you, Sasuke.”


	3. Chapter 3

Amaya woke covered in sweat, her dreams had been plagued by nightmares of her stay within the Root faction. She sat up and looked to her arm, the deep lacerations they had inflicted on her were still pink and raw, deeper and older cuts had gone white with age. Amaya dressed slowly and left her small home. She walked the streets on Konoha until she stopped at the doors to the hospital. She stood there for a moment before she took a step forward - however, her name was called behind her and she turned, seeing Sakura. “I thought you would already be here.”

Sakura shook her head, “I was saying goodbye to Sasuke.” She held her gaze with Amaya hoping for a fight.

Amaya narrowed her eyes before shrugging her shoulders. She made for the doors again, “I’d like to get this done quickly.”

Sakura’s eyes scanned Amaya quickly, “you’re so weak now.” She said plainly. “I haven’t ever seen you this broken down.” She followed Amaya into the building and led her to her office. “You don’t have anything to remark back to me, do you?”

Amaya took a seat on the examination bed. “I have other business this afternoon, I can’t sit around and trade insults, Sakura.”

Sakura swallowed the venom that she wanted to spit at Amaya and she pulled up a stood next to her, she took Amaya’s pale arm and looked over it quickly - she was shocked to see the extent of the damage up close. “Can you please use your fingers to count to five.” She watched as Amaya’s whole hand began to shake with the effort of trying to carry out her instruction - and even with all of that effort she was unable to do it. “Please could you bend your wrist towards you?” Sakura felt suddenly saddened that Amaya was couldn’t even muster enough strength to do as instructed. “The movement in your muscles and ligaments is almost non existent. If you look here,” she ran her fingers along Amaya’s bicep, “the muscle is deteriorating quickly simply because it hasn’t been used in so long.” She closed her eyes and began to emit chakra, she ran her hand along the length of Amaya’s arm to scan her. “Whoever did this to you has blocked your chakra points all the way up to your shoulder - what does if feel like if you try to force chakra into your arm.”

Amaya’s empty eyes looked to her useless arm. “It feels like my arm will blow off…something like filling a balloon with too much air.”

Sakura sat back and rested her hands on her knees. “I can help you.” She said, “but it will take time and I’m uncertain as to whether the use of your arm will be fully restored.”

“I need it to be, if I can’t use this arm effectively then I cannot use my jutsu - if I can’t do that I can’t work.” 

Sakura stood and crossed the room, “much in the same way I intend to restore Naruto’s arm I plan to use special cells cultivated from the first Hokage to heal you. It will be a minimal amount injected in rounds weekly, this will stop the flesh, bone and muscle from dying - I will speak with the medical team and we will work to get the chakra points unblocked, I suspect the Hyuuga can help with this.” Sakura explained and she quickly made some notes, “if the cells work and we can get the flow of chakra restored we will then begin sessions of rehabilitation.” 

Amaya nodded and looked to Sakura. “I am grateful for this.” She said quietly. 

Sakura felt a swell of pride in her heart, there had never been a fondness exchanged between them - nor a comment of gratitude. She watched Amaya stand and head for the door, “come back in three days time, by then I will have put together a solution for you and consulted with the other medics. I would estimate you would need around six doses before you are able to move your arm without any pain, from then we will work to restore movement and try to send chakra through to retrain you.” 

Amaya put her hand on the door, her back faced Sakura, “you may not be worth having on field but you certainly make up for it here.” 

Sakura listened to her office door shut and she felt a smile grow on her lips and accepted the thinly veiled compliment.

*****

Nightfall came to Konoha, Amaya welcomed the darkness. She stood in her bedroom having spent an hour soaking her cold body in a hot bath. She had considered, whilst trying to burn away all thoughts and feelings, whether she should abandon Konoha to die in the forest. She felt as though she had no place in the new world. Amaya dressed in a robe and sat at the foot of her bed, in her thoughts she let her memories pay respect to the jigsaw pieces she had lost, the pieces she could never use to complete her life. She thought of Itachi and how she had been the man to make her feel loved again, about Mikoto, who had taught her how to cook and be a woman. She thought of Fugaku who taught her fierceness…and to Sasuke, who had been her oldest and closest friend. She clenched her jaw when she thought of him - he had left her again. She felt anger in her heart when she pictured his face, she steeled her gaze and looked ahead and noticed a piece of paper on her dresser. She stood carefully and retrieved it. 

Amaya, 

I’m sure it feels to you like I have betrayed you again and left you behind but be assured that is not the case. My place is not in Konoha, I need to reflect on the person I am so that I can become the person everyone deserves - I cannot do that in Konoha. I would have asked you sooner but I could not find the words - when you have healed I would like you to join me. I want you to bring yourself justice by killing the ones who hurt you, I can help you do that.  
I have been told it will take six weeks for you to be healed without complication, and few further weeks to rehabilitate - in three months time I will wait on the boarders of Suna in an abandoned hideout of Orochimaru’s.  
I hope that you come. 

Sasuke 

Amaya pressed her head to her hand and closed her eyes. She had waited years for Sasuke to come home, she had dreamt every night that she would wake up and he would be there. ‘You came back to be pardoned just so you could leave again.’ She thought miserably. She had missed him, every part of her had missed him. Her brain had missed the challenge he posed her, her soul had missed his companionship and her heart had missed the deep love she would often bury.She looked down at her arm and steeled her heart. She vowed to herself that she would do everything she could to make it out of Konoha to meet Sasuke. To kill those who had wronged her. “The Shrike.” She said her name to remind herself of who she was.  
The next morning Amaya woke, dressed and headed out. She sought out Kakashi, in just a few days he would officially take over from Tsunade and become the sixth Hokage. She arrived at the sake bar she had been told to go to. 

“You look awful, Amaya.”

Amaya glanced up from her drink and saw Kakashi, “I’ve seen better days.”

Kakashi took a seat beside her and ordered a drink. “You’re officially labelled an enemy of Konoha, why?”

Amaya shrugged her shoulders with feigned nonchalance, “rubbed some people the wrong way.”

Kakashi eyed Amaya, “you have to tell me the truth. I need to have a good enough case to get you pardoned.” 

Amaya downed her sake and nodded slowly. “I found out that Danzo intended to beomce Hokage and start a war. Root knew that I knew, they tracked me down after I fled Konoha - spun a lie that I attempted to kill Tsunade when she was incapacitated. I ran from Konoha in hopes of making it to the land of Iron to warn someone of what Danzo was. I was brought back to Konoha and I’ve been underground for months, they kept me in a cell and only released me when word came of the war ending. In truth they could have kept me down there and buried me.” She frowned and raised her glass to the barman, “perhaps they were worried that someone might come looking for me or that even if I was let out there wouldn’t be anyone that would believe me.”

Kakashi pulled down his mask and revealed his Sharingan, “what Danzo and Root did has been laid to rest, it will not become common knowledge.” He scanned Amaya’s arm, “Sakura is going to treat your arm, isn’t she?” 

Amaya smiled, “it’s in tatters, isn’t it?” 

Kakashi covered his eye, “When she has healed you I want you to retrain that arm to be better than it was before.” He stood. “The elders will know what you tried to do to save Konoha, I will make sure your citizenship is reinstated.” 

Amaya lowered her eyes. “In truth I’m not sure if I belong here,” she said softly. “all of the people who made me feel like this was my home have either died or left the village.”

Kakashi frowned, “What about Naruto.”

“He’s going to be Hokage someday, he will not need to worry himself with the likes of me.” She felt sad, suddenly, as though she was grieving. “What will I do if I can’t get my arm back?” 

Kakashi mulled her words for a moment before leaning forward to close the gap between them, “you’re not a strategist, nor are you a medic. You don’t have skills to work as a builder, teacher or an artist.” He listed carefully and he watched her gawk at him. “You fight, Amaya, that’s your job. You track enemies and you kill them. You protect Konoha. If you cannot use your arm then so be it, you will either train your left arm to use the jutsu or you will learn something new entirely. You are the Shrike, I know what that means to you - I know what fighting means to you.” 

Amaya stood and reached her arm around Kakashi’s shoulders, “thank you, Kakashi.” She felt restored.

“You mustn’t be so familiar, Amaya,” Kakashi began with a laugh, “people might think you’re trying to get close to the new Hokage so you can sneak into his room and kill him.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto waited in the eaves of the long willow branches, winter fast approached and a cool breeze carried his hopes away. His blue eyes looked to the clear sky and he prayed that everything would be okay. He rose when the doors to the hospital opened, but quickly he sat down - it wasn’t Amaya.  
He thought about what had happened to his friend, some days earlier she had told him and it had plagued him ever since - he had gone straight to Kakashi to explain the situation but was surprised to hear he was already appealing the case. ‘If Sasuke can get away with what he did then surely Amaya can.’ He thought positively. Naruto mulled the possible outcomes of Amaya’s treatment, if it was successful she could carry on with her life as normal, ‘although I doubt she would want to return to her previous post given the betrayal by Root…’ he pondered. He rested his chin on his hand, ‘and if it doesn’t work?’

“You came.”

Naruto’s head jolted up and his doubtful thoughts were pushed aside. In front of him stood Amaya, he jumped to his feet, “is it okay?” He looked to Amaya’s arm, it still hung in a sling but he noticed a wild glint in her eyes and suddenly the air around him felt bone dry. Huge torrents of swelling water spun from the ground around Amaya - converging on her arm. He watched as she slipped her sling and held out her hand, water held it back and travelled up her arm to her shoulder - from her fingers grew long, sharp tendrils of water. He felt his heart grow with pride even when the water crashed back down the dry earth it had been drawn from. “You’re amazing.” He took Amaya in his arms and felt her laboured breath and pounding heart against his chest.

Amaya held him back and inhaled his familiar homely scent. “I need to train hard.” She felt glad. She held Naruto back at arms length, “will you help me?”

Naruto grinned with excitement, “we haven’t sparred for years.”

Amaya chuckled, “and for good reason, you surpassed me a long time ago.”

Naruto smiled humbly, “but you were ANBU.” He remembered idolising Amaya for that fact - she had always been so much further ahead than him. He had chased her shadow for years.

Amaya touched the side of Naruto’s face, “you’re going to be the Hokage.” She felt love in her heart when she thought of Naruto achieving his dreams. Her eyes carried to the faces of the Hokage and her eyes settled on the Fourth - Naruto had spoken with her at length about his encounters with his parents. “Your dad must have known from the moment you were born.” She let her hand slip from his face to his shoulder and she reached her lips to his cheek and gave her friend a brief kiss. “Watching you surpass me has been an honour.”

Naruto felt his heartbeat slow, even as recently as before the war he still considered Amaya to be a woman worth pursuing - a kiss like that would have sent him into meltdown. The war had changed him. Naruto took Amaya’s hand in his and led her from the hospital. “Lets get ramen to celebrate each other.”

*****

_Naruto folded his arms and pulled a face at Sasuke’s back - mocking the way he stood and talked. He didn’t understand why he was so adept at talking to girls. He glanced to Sakura, who also boiled with rage beside him. “Why is Sasuke speaking to that girl?” He was immensely jealous._

_Sakura felt her face heat with anger. “They’re old friends according to Ino.” She said bitterly, though she wasn’t sure what part she was most bitter about - Sasuke speaking to another girl or the fact that Ino knew something about Sasuke that she didn’t know._

_Naruto gazed at the girl, she was taller than Sasuke, her hair was long, messy and grey - it fell as long as her lower back with a tuft on the crown of her head. Her body was slim and looked strong and carried long knives at her hips. “Her eyes are pretty.” He said out loud after studying her pale face, he noticed her smile as she talked to Sasuke and he felt his heart bang in his chest._

_“Really? Blue is so common.” Sakura chided. She believed her green eyes to be a lot more romantic and compelling._

_Naruto felt his heart begin to beat erratically. “I think I love her, Sakura.” He confessed as he felt his cheeks sting pink at the thought of being noticed by her. “What’s her name?”_

_Sakura chastised Naruto with a slap, “Amaya Haruko - she’s from Kirigakure.”_

_Naruto’s eyes gleamed in wonderment, “an exotic beauty.”_

_“She’s an outcast - she didn’t go to school here. She doesn’t have any friends.” She spewed her venom before it rotted through the lining in her stomach. “She’s a freak.”_

_Naruto peered long at Amaya, he noticed her clothes - she wore a high necked, long sleeved black shirt with a grey padded vest over the top and her forearms were covered by grey arm guards, black trousers and black sandals. He thought for a moment, “she’s ANBU.”_

_Sakura, too, suddenly recognised the uniform and she tried not to be in awe. “Why would they let someone from the Bloody Mist be ANBU in our city?” She suddenly straightened, along with Naruto, when Amaya’s eyes locked upon them._

_“So these are your teammates?”_

_Sasuke turned and looked at Naruto and Sakura, “unfortunately.” His response was in his usual dulcet tone._

_Amaya took a few steps forward, bowed her head and extended her hand, “my name is Amaya Haruko.” She said as her hand was taken by Naruto’s - she wondered then why it was so sweaty._

_“I’m Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki - future Hokage.” He boasted before he fell silent, enamoured by her visage up close. Her skin was flawless and her eyes friendly._

_Sasuke put his hands into his pockets, “Naruto is just an idiot, not the future Hokage.”_

_Naruto couldn’t hear Sasuke, instead he looked to the long knives at Amaya’s hips, “those are amazing.”_

_Amaya glanced down at them and smiled in agreement. She looked past Naruto and to the girl hanging behind, she felt nervous suddenly - she didn’t have female friends. “I’m Amaya, it’s nice to meet you.”_

_Sakura didn’t take Amaya’s hand, she instead looked at Sasuke, “We don’t have time to talk to you, we are on our way to meet our Sensei.”_

_Amaya withdrew her hand and rested it on the hilt of one of her knives. “It must be frustrating having to constantly jump to the whims of a Sensei.” She watched as Sakura’s emerald eyes connected with hers. “I’m glad I’m strong enough to not need one.”_

_Sakura looked Amaya up and down and squared her shoulders, “who do you think you are?”_

_Amaya arched an eyebrow, “the freak from Kirigakure.”_

_Sakura felt her skin crawl. ‘She heard me.’ She thought in horror and then she looked to Naruto and wondered how much of an idiot he must have felt in regards to all of the strange things he had said about her._

_Amaya bowed her head to Naruto, “I’ll see you around.”_

_Naruto nodded eagerly._

_Amaya faced Sasuke with her fist extended, “training later?”_

_Sasuke nodded and reached to knock Amaya’s fist, “see you later.”_

_Naruto held his hand to his mouth as Amaya jumped out of sight. At this point he was beginning to become accustomed to the unrelenting pounding in his chest. He wished then that one day he would know her well enough to marry her. In the absence of Amaya he turned to Sasuke, his calm countenance ruined and replaced with one of envy. “How do you know someone in ANBU?”_

_Sakura glared at Sasuke and waited for his answer._

_Sasuke thought for a moment how he could define his relationship with Amaya. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked to the space where Amaya had been. “She’s a family friend.” He said as he started to walk to the meeting place._

_Sakura was slightly confused by Sasuke’s terminology but it told her that Sasuke had indeed known Amaya for a long time already. She decided not to press him. And she cursed Ino for being right about their past._

_Naruto jogged to catch up with Sasuke, “do you think she will go on a date with me?”_

_Sasuke arched a condescending eyebrow, “she wouldn’t entertain the idea of going on a date with someone like you, Naruto.”_

_Naruto raised his arms in despair, “I’ll get her to go on a date with me some day.” He vowed quietly to himself._


	5. Chapter 5

The winds of winter had ensnared Konoha. Endless was the grey sky. Frost painted the leafless trees white. Snow was on its way.Naruto’s feet carried him to Amaya’s house, he climbed the high steps and knocked on her door - he heard something fall inside and out of instinct he burst through the door. Inside he looked left and right before pressing forward, “Amaya?” He called her name and made for her bedroom having heard another noise come from there. Opening the door he saw Amaya wrapping herself in a towel - he averted his eyes quickly even though he had seen her exposed body. “I’m sorry!” He quickly backed out of the room with his hand covering his eyes. He waited nervously in Amaya’s kitchen, he ate chocolate to calm his nerves but he felt his heart pound like a drum in his chest when Amaya came out of her room fully dressed. “I heard a bang when I got here and I was scared something might have happened-…” He cut off his explanation when he noticed Amaya smiling. “You’re not mad?”

Amaya shook her head, “everyone has a body, Naruto.” 

Naruto relaxed, “I saw your boobs.” He admitted.

Amaya smiled and sat down, “then you’re a lucky man.” 

Naruto made his way to Amaya and sat beside her. He tried not to think about her pale, smooth skin. “Sakura told me that you’re refusing your final few rehabilitation sessions.” 

“I’m rehabilitated.” Amaya said quickly. She would have to tell Naruto that she intended to leave Konoha that night to find Sasuke. “Naruto,” she started, “I know you care about Sakura but to me she is poison. I would rather eat all of the dog shit on the streets than spend any more time with her. She has no place in her heart for me, and I don’t have space in mine for her. I’m ready to go.” She watched the cogs work behind Naruto’s eyes. “I’m leaving Konoha.” 

Naruto lowered his eyes, “for a mission?” He asked already knowing the answer. 

“Not this time.” She said softly as she took Naruto’s hand in hers. “I have business to deal with and after that I want to go back to Kirigakure.” 

“This is your home.” 

Amaya nodded slowly and she smiled. “I love you - please don’t ever think that I don’t. You have been my friend through many dangers, through the hardest and the best times of my childhood. You gave me hope, you gave me kindness and you gave me love. I will never, ever be able to thank you enough for the ways in which you saved me.” She felt her throat begin to close and she reached her hand to his cheek to wipe his tears. “You are the best person I know, and my dearest friend.” 

Naruto inhaled sharply, “then stay with me.” He held Amaya’s shoulders, “you can’t go.” He pleaded.

Amaya gave Naruto a sad smile, “despite you and everything you have done for me I have never fit in here. I came here as a child and everyone was suspicious of me - a girl from the bloody mist, the fact that I excelled so much to undergo ANBU training at the age I did made people more afraid. In those early days I met Itachi, he spoke to me often about isolation and how he induced fear in others - even those in his own family. I suspect that’s maybe what lead to the massacre, maybe he felt he should give them something to be afraid of. Regardless of what he did I still miss the man he was…” she trailed off and thought of her chance meeting with him earlier in the year, “before he died I fled Konoha to find Sasuke, I found Itachi instead and we spoke about our lives.” 

Naruto thought to tell Amaya the truth about Itachi, that his crime wasn’t as bad as everyone had been made to believe.

“What I want to say, Naruto, is that Konoha as a whole hasn’t been a very positive place for me. I would fight to the death to defend it but I can’t be here a moment longer. I need to find who I am again.” Amaya trailed off into silence and she lowered her eyes to look at Naruto’s hands. “You managed to be strong enough to fight for the love of Konoha and that’s why I don’t belong here - I will never be trusted in the eyes of the people. Even with Kakashi’s pardon I’m still regarded with disdain, despite the countless missions I have been on to protect Konoha I am not considered a citizen.” 

Naruto was aghast at Amaya’s words, he felt a shame deep within himself on behalf of his home. He wanted to beg Amaya to give the village one last chance. “You have a lot to offer Kirigakure.” He reached his arms around Amaya, “Please visit whenever you can.” 

Amaya relaxed into his arms. “At least you finally got to see the goods, that childhood crush you had on me has finally been fulfilled.” 

Naruto pulled back, his cheeks lit red with embarrassment. “I never-…” He began by trying to deny it but soon he calmed, “can you blame me? You are a powerful, brutal beauty - I was endlessly jealous of the relationship Sasuke had with you.” He felt his heart begin to flutter and courage drove his body and he gave Amaya’s lips a soft kiss. He inched back and beheld Amaya - seeing the woman his childhood crush had become made him glad. “Twelve year old Naruto would be so proud.” 

Amaya pushed forward and planted her lips on Naruto, she held them there fore a few seconds before she broke away. “And fifteen year old Amaya would be dancing on the rooftops.” She laughed when Naruto looked at her in disbelief. “When you came back to Konoha after training with Jiraiya I was absolutely in awe of you - you were fire.” 

Naruto’s face burst with a smile. “Who’d have thought it?” He felt truly happy in that moment. “I wonder what will happen next time?” 

Amaya gave Naruto a wink, “I’m sure you will have fun imagining it.” 

*****

Sasuke gazed out at the snowy landscape before him, the trees had long since lost their leaves and had left behind long spines in which to bend under the weight of the snow. He looked to the lowering sun, he was shocked at just how long he had been there - when he had taken his seat the sun had been high in the sky. He stood and swept his glance one last time over his surroundings. He had hoped that his stay in the cold hideout would soon come to its end. He turned and jumped down form the precipice and headed back into the mouth of the cave. He felt a sudden surge behind him, in panic he turned and saw long lashes of water making their way to him - he ducked and weaved and jumped from danger back to the high ledge he had waited on. His heartbeat slowed and his lips pulled into a small smile as he watched Amaya emerge from the brush. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” 

Amaya released her jutsu and tucked her arm back under her long cloak. “It took me a while to find the place.” She watched as Sasuke leapt back down to the ground and she met him in the snow. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Seems like Sakura fixed more than just your arm - there’s a complete attitude adjustment.” He held Amaya’s tempestuous gaze before he shrugged a shoulder to dismiss his slight. “You are okay?” 

Amaya nodded and kept her eyes on him, she had realised in that moment how much he had changed, that his face was leaner and harder but his eyes seemed kinder. “After this I am going to be going back to Kirigakure.” 

Sasuke took a step back and motioned for her to follow him inside. “I hope you don’t have a fixed date.” 

“Why?” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “you want to track and kill defected members of Root - they will not be easy to find.”

Amaya gave Sasuke’s arm a nudge, “lucky for me I happen to know someone with both the sharingan and the rinnegan.” She jested as she walked beside Sasuke further into the complex. 

Sasuke glanced to Amaya, “I won’t get involved with killing them - that’s on you, I won’t be held responsible for the murder of Konoha citizens.” 

Amaya grinned, “I had Kakashi declare them as missing nin, it would be considered a disservice to Konoha if we didn’t kill them.” She let her eyes study the room before her, broken glass littered the floor and to the left there spanned a large hallway. “This place is dire.” 

Sasuke felt the glass beneath his feet crunch, “the prisoners here rioted and escaped.” He said by way of explanation as he motioned towards the hallway. “I have been staying in a room down there. You are welcome to stay with me.” He took in Amaya’s perplexed expression. “There are two beds.” 

Amaya nodded slowly and made small steps towards the opening, she looked back to Sasuke, “did you feel sad when you left Konoha the first time?” 

Sasuke thought of the night he had left. “I never intended to go back.” He said quietly, “and I still feel as though I haven’t really gone back.” He walked with Amaya, “I left to gain strength.” He looked sidelong at Amaya, “why did you leave?” 

Amaya smiled sadly, “Something along the same lines.”


	6. Chapter 6

Amaya pressed her fingers into her eyes and rubbed them raw, “what do you mean they’re not in the area?”

Sasuke’s expression didn’t change, “they are not in this city, Amaya, I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“But you had a lead-…”

“Leads sometimes don’t amount to anything.” Sasuke cut in impatiently. He watched Amaya stalk away and he sighed and followed. “Shall we get some food?” He remembered such offers calming her in their youth.

Amaya rolled her eyes, “Sasuke, you can’t just offer food to diffuse a situation - I am very disheartened that I haven’t been able to murder the people that locked me up for months.” Her eyes carried to a barbecued meat stall and she felt rumbling in her stomach. Her pace became tentative and she slowed to an almost stop as her gaze met with many glazed delicacies.

Sasuke drew up beside her, reached her hand and slid some money into her sweating palm. “Get something nice for both of us.”

Amaya felt Sasuke leave her side, his orders like a gentle breeze - looking ahead she saw him take a seat beneath a tree, its leave were beginning to come back - it would soon be spring. Amaya bought food for the both of them, dumplings, squid and various meat skewers. She went to Sasuke and sat beside him. “Where do we look next?”

Sasuke took a bite of one of the skewers, the meat was so tender it melted in his mouth - it was a rare treat to have properly cooked food, he was growing tired of the flavourless concoctions he and Amaya had been making in their latest hideout. He mulled Amaya’s question for a moment longer… “Do you have family in Kirigakure?” He dismissed her question.

Amaya’s brow furrowed, like many in her village she was an orphan. “I don’t.”

“Will they take you back?”

Amaya looked along the road, many different shops were ahead of her - one sold clothing, another baked goods, the next one sold weapons. “Uhh,” she murmured out loud as she tried to set her mind back on track. “If they don’t I’m sure I can offer some information about Konoha.”

Sasuke smirked, “We’re in peacetime now.”

Amaya looked sidelong at Sasuke, “you and I may be, Konoha and the other villages may be - but there would be certain people who wouldn’t be.” Amaya felt her smile fall as her thoughts fell to a frequent pain she felt. “Did you ever find out why Itachi did what he did?” She watched Sasuke visibly bristle at the mention of his brothers name.

“Now isn’t the place.”

“I dream about him a lot.” Amaya pressed. “I saw him before he died you know.” She felt a sad laugh leave her lips, “I came looking for you.”

Sasuke stood quickly and set aside his half of the food Amaya had dutifully distributed. “Come on.” He took a few steps before glancing back. “I won’t talk about him in public Amaya.”

Amaya got to her feet with a start, collected Sasuke’s food and followed him to the outskirts of the city back into the forest. She walked behind him much of the way, looking up often to see if he was still there - she often had fears that he would leave her. She had long since finished off her own food and Sasuke’s, she felt satisfied as she ducked beneath the long willow curtain that hid the entrance the the cave they had made their camp in. She felt blind in the darkness.

Sasuke lit the torch he had picked up in the mouth of the cave and he pressed on, he thought about how he should explain to Amaya all that had happened. “You should sit.” He motioned and watched as she did so. “My brother saved everyone.” He said after a moment of thought - he watched Amaya’s eyes narrow with confusion. “My father and the other Uchiha had planned a coup - the Elders were aware of this and had Itachi spy on the Uchiha - the Uchiha used Itachi to spy on the Elders. The decision was made that for the safety of the leaf village Itachi had to wipe out the Uchiha Clan.” He paused and smiled. “He didn’t have the heart to kill me, so I was left behind. He behaved the way he did to give me the fuel I needed to become strong enough to seek him out - to release him.” Sasuke paused and he felt his heart thud in his chest. “My brother loved Konoha to its bones.” He looked into the fire that burned between himself and Amaya, “he told me that no matter what I do he would love me forever.” He steeled his gaze, “I want to protect what he wanted to protect.”

Amaya lowered her eyes and remembered vividly Itachi’s parting words to her. “He told me that he hoped he would get to tell you that he loved you.” She felt tears pool in her eyes and she let out a quick sigh in attempt to dispel the emotion. She understood that those words weren’t meant in malice despite her previous beliefs. “He was the first person that gave me a chance at a family, he was the first person I ever loved.”

Sasuke was taken aback by Amaya’s words, and he too felt a wash of sadness come over him. He thought to reach out to her in that moment to seek solace.

“He would be proud of us for getting this far.” Amaya reassured herself with a smile. “We did always want to travel the land together.”

Sasuke suddenly recalled his brothers scathing tone, “you two? Loose out there? The God’s would weep.” He tried his best to mimic Itachi’s tone.

Amaya puffed out her chest and squared her shoulders, “you would kill one another before anything else would get to you.” She stood and pointed to the wall, “there are boars out there that are bigger than houses, did you know that?” Amaya was fighting back laughter, she beheld Sasuke and was glad he laughed with her. “He didn’t have a lot of faith in us when we were seven.”

Sasuke nodded as his laugh softened to a chuckle, “and you were training for ANBU, he should have trusted you.”

Amaya shrugged her shoulders, “I was still learning then. I didn’t become cool until you guys graduated the academy - and now you and Naruto exceed me a hundred-fold.” Amaya sat back on her log, “It’s amazing what having a demon fox sealed inside of you and an ancient bloodline can yield.” She scoffed in jest.

“I suspect you could still beat Sakura.”

Amaya snorted, “apparently even she has improved exponentially.” She played coy but she was quietly confident she could still beat Sakura.

******

_Several days had passed since Amaya had left Konoha, she followed tracks seldom used by others so that her journey through the land of fire might go unnoticed. She slowed to a stop, set her pouches and weapons down and sought food - she had not long stopped for supplies in a small town and she had kept a few sweet treats for a desperate time ‘I wouldn’t really call two hours later a desperate time…’ she mused internally as she filled her cheeks.Her days passed like this, she gathered information where she could, ate in fine eateries wherever she could find one - but anxiousness gnawed at her. She had been sent on the same mission she periodically got sent on…to investigate Sasuke’s whereabouts. It had been some weeks since Naruto and Team 7 had encountered Orochimaru on the Tenchi Bridge and since then all had been quiet.Amaya laid down her head on the soft pillow, she had slept in the woods for much of her mission but that night was the first one she had spent in a bed, she enjoyed the comfort. She thought long about what she might say to Sasuke if she saw him - over the years she would endeavour to map out her words in her head but nothing ever came to fruition. No word came to Konoha of Sasuke in the three years after he left, it was only Naruto’s encounter with him that seemed to bring him back to the forefront of everyones thoughts - including the ANBU. ‘Though that’s not to save you, more to feel out if you’re a threat now…’ Amaya’s thoughts raced of what the sudden surge of interest could mean.  
Morning came and brought with it huge and threatening clouds and a heavy wind. Amaya drove into the woods again in hopes of finding some kind of shelter as she travelled and for some time she managed to stay relatively dry - but a few miles from the town she had rested in she came upon a large opening, an unnatural one - stumps and pitted earth scarred what would have been just more scenic woodland. She ducked behind a brush and looked long at the area - the rain was heavier now, and the wind even fiercer, she struggled to hear anything and with the spray of the rain she also struggled to focus visually._

_“I will kill you if you don’t come out.”_

_Amaya bristled at the voice coming from the din, she hadn’t anticipated anyone being around, let alone noticing her almost immediately. She formed quick seals and from the drenched earth summoned her jutsu - long and lashing whips grew from her hand and she let them envelope her. “You don’t know who you’re threatening.” She shouted out into the cacophony of noise - she wasn’t afraid, she was strong and more than capable of killing._

_“Nor do you.”_

_Amaya heard the sheering of metal as is whizzed past the canopy of leaves behind her, she circled her arm around her head with speed and created a quick defence around her whole body._

_“She’s from Kirigakure.” A second voice came._

_Amaya narrowed her eyes now on the spot she heard the voice coming from - she moved quickly and allowed the long whips of her jutsu to spread wide like a pack of hunting dogs. She heard a small shout from within a tree and a dark shape emerged, fleeing the long watery tails. She surged forward and drove the long spike into the figure. Amaya slowed and allowed the majority of her deadly spines dissipate. “That’s one of you.” She chided and turned with a swift kick, it connected with a strong forearm that had already predicted what could have been a painful attack._

_“The bird of Konoha has flown quite far from her nest.”_

_Amaya felt her body tense as she beheld the owner of the voice. Long hair tied at the nape of his neck, eyes red like an autumn sun. She glanced quickly over her shoulder and the shadow she had speared turned out to be nothing more than a water clone. Amaya inhaled jaggedly and lowered her leg. “…is it really you?” Her jutsu dissipated and all the water she had taken from the earth she gave back._

_“How do you know this child, Itachi?”_

_The confirmation of name from what appeared to be his partner made Amaya shiver, realising the danger she was in she stepped away from the Uchiha - not in her wildest thoughts did she think she would encounter one of the most dangerous ninja listed in the bingo book._

_Itachi looked ahead to his partner, “she used to eat dinner with my family.” He pointed his finger at Amaya and watched as the world around them faded to black. “I won’t hurt you, Amaya.”_

_Amaya looked left and right, she could no longer see the shark faced man. “Genjutsu?” She queried and received a nod in response. She closed her eyes and thought about her next words. “Why?”_

_Itachi’s expression was unmoving, “Why?” He repeated her question. “Privacy.”_

_Amaya wanted to relax but she felt cold._

_“I felt a presence a few days ago, an enormous chakra - I didn’t think it would lead to you.” Itachi said slowly. “You’ve grown into a strong ninja.”_

_Amaya’s throat felt tight, “you should have stuck around, you could have been the one to train me.” Her eyes scanned him - he looked identical to her memories of him. “What are you doing here?”_

_Itachi leant his head to the side, “I can’t tell you that, Amaya.” He blinked his eyes and himself and Amaya were sat on a bench together, the bench they would often sit on outside of the building she lived in. Birds sung, the breeze was gentle and he remembered the feeling of peace. “You graduated as ANBU at the same time Sasuke graduated the Academy.” He noted the height difference between himself and Amaya as they sat - she sat almost as tall as him now. “The Shrike.”_

_Amaya bristled and turned to face him, “were you spying on me?”_

_Itachi remained stony, “I wanted to see if you would become a threat.”_

_Amaya closed her eyes for a moment and tried to regain her composure. “The hole you left behind was immense, Itachi.” She felt her jaw tighten in an attempt to contain her anger. “Your actions have brought so much imbalance to the world.” She stood and faced Itachi. “Why are you here?”_

_Itachi looked past the woman before him and he saw the jovial child she once was stood behind her. He understood then that his massacre on his own family had affected those who were not his own blood. He leant back on the bench. “I’m looking for Sasuke, the same as you are.” His words were composed despite the sadness in his heart._

_“Why?” Amaya pressed._

_Itachi lowered his red eyes, “I hope to get a final chance to tell him I love him.” He said quietly._

_Amaya’s expression contorted with disgust. “You shouldn’t torment him.”_

_Itachi stood and took steps towards Amaya, he had suspected that she would keep the distance between them by moving but she stood steadfast to his surprise. “I could hurt you.”_

_Amaya held his gaze. “You said you wouldn’t.”_

_Itachi felt a smile crawl onto his lips, “you’re still tenacious-…” his utterance halted when he felt Amaya’s arms wrap around him. He was still for a moment as he recalled all the times he had held her as a child - as a little sister. “I’m proud of you.” He said softly._

_Amaya felt a release of anxiety, despite his actions she still loved him. “I-…” It seemed a love that was too deep for words. She felt her eyes close of their own volition and when she opened them again she was lay in the rain back where she had encountered him. She sat up and scanned the area - she was alone._


	7. Chapter 7

Sasuke opened an eye in the darkness, he had drifted back into consciousness only minutes ago but his ears did a poor job of identifying the noise coming from nearby - he hoped his vision might shine a light on the mysterious sound. He saw Amaya with her limbs thrown out from beneath her blanket, her skin was so white she looked like a corpse. His eyes travelled still and he thanked the single moon beam that pierced the room for landing directly on Amaya’s open, dribbling mouth. He waited. A choking sound, followed by a gargle and a soft whimper. Sasuke grinned as he closed his eyes.The sun rose and Sasuke opened his eyes again, the room was silent…a result achieved by encasing his head in a very sophisticated shield against the monstrous snoring. He popped his head out of his thick cloak and heard the sounds of the room - Amaya. He sat up, stretched his arms and felt the early spring chill dance over his bare chest. He felt tired. It had been a few days since he had spoken with Amaya about Itachi - he felt a guilt in knowing that she had spent over a year longer than he had being utterly disappointed in his brother.   
They had since travelled to a nearby, quiet town and rented a room for a few nights, it was a modest room with minimal furniture, but within the grounds of the hotel was a hot spring and both Amaya and Sasuke were eager to use it to try and sooth the aches in their bodies and their souls.Sasuke reached for his sandal and hurled it at Amaya, who was in the same position she had been when he woke to her snoring in the middle of the night. “Get up.” 

Amaya woke with a start, her weary eyes stared up at the ceiling. She ingested her surroundings for a moment before she sat and looked to Sasuke, who stood and folded his futon up neatly. She focused on the working muscles in his bare shoulders, and the pale beauty of his skin - that’s when she became aware of the shoe on her chest. “You shouldn’t throw things.” 

“You shouldn’t keep me awake all night with your snoring.” 

Amaya scoffed, “Snore? Me? Not a chance - I’ve been told I sleep like the dead…absolutely silent.” She emphasised the final word with a whisper. 

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Amaya, “I think they meant you’re unable to be woken by, honestly, the loudest noise known to mankind.” 

Amaya began to fold up her own futon and she gave a mocking laugh. “I don’t snore.” 

“Quite frankly I don’t believe anyone has ever slept in the vicinity of you until now, so I can understand why you would think you don’t snore - nobody has had the chance to tell you.” 

Amaya’s brow furrowed, “I’ve been on countless missions where I have slept in close proximity to others and they have never mentioned anything about excessive noise - if anything it was a lack of.” 

Sasuke threaded his arms into his shirt. “They must have been scared of you.” 

Amaya fell silent for a moment of contemplation. “I was the leader of all of those missions…” She felt very exposed in that moment but she straightened her back and her resolve and faced Sasuke. “I think you’re just overly sensitive to noise and missing the obvious fact that whatever you heard came from outside.” 

Sasuke opened his hands and motioned for Amaya to return his shoe. He caught it but made a note of the force it was thrown with and concluded he had, indeed, rattled Amaya.   
Once ready he and Amaya left the small hotel and went out into the tiny town - looking to the left there was a inn, he had spoken with the elderly couple that ran it the night before and was informed that they had been frequented as of late by two ninja who ate breakfast there each morning. With their hoods up Sasuke and Amaya passed the inn and went into the neighbouring gambling spot. 

“How long will we have to wait?” Amaya asked quietly as she idly pushed a coin into a slot machine. 

Sasuke kept an eye on the entrance, “could be hours.” He said in a low voice. “and even if they do come there is no knowing if they are the right people.” 

Amaya played the machine for a while, the inane tunes pleased her somewhat - or made her feel normal, she wasn’t sure. She often thought about a life as a civilian, owning a small shop and living an average life. She had always enjoyed Yamanaka Flower Shop and usually in her fantasies that was where she worked. 

“Eyes up.” Sasuke reached back and tapped Amaya’s leg to bring her back into reality. “They’re definitely ANBU.” 

Amaya frowned, “how do you know?” 

Sasuke stood and made for the entrance, “you all walk the same.” 

Amaya nodded slowly and knew then it was the power they exerted that Sasuke had picked up on. 

“You all walk with utter arrogance.” His tone was deadpan but he had meant it in jest - Amaya didn’t catch it. He felt her draw up beside him. “Go in and identify them - once you do, come back here and we will follow them to a quieter spot.” He watched Amaya go - there were a few moments of silence before he heard glass shatter. He slowly closed his eyes. 

Amaya stood before the pair and smiled. “It’s good to see you both again.” 

“How did you get out?” One started. 

“I heard Aoi panicked and let her out when news came of the war ending.” 

Amaya planted her feet, “you two snivelling pigs had fled the city long before that.” She caught sight of Sasuke lingering by the entrance, “Hideki, Jiro - we worked together for years, do you remember all of those missions we went on, we saved one another's lives countless times. Stargazed at night and sunbathed in the day, we saw the world together.” 

“We did as we were told, Amaya.” Hideki said levelly. 

Jiro nodded, “we were more afraid of Danzo than we were of you.” 

Amaya felt a smile grow on her lips. “He’s dead now. And I’m here…I’m the one you should be scared of.” Her words were laced with venom. 

Hideki shared a glance with Jiro as the room around them began to shake, the air around them grew sticky with humidity and they both made for the exit. They made it to the trees and cooler air but there was a sudden hot blast.   
Hideki was still on the branch, he looked to Jiro and saw a steaming, spiked arm of water going through his chest - it was as thick as the branch that supported them. “Jir-…” He watched his comrade go limp, he was tossed to the ground. Hideki turned as best he could and saw Amaya sat at the bar, as relaxed as he had ever seen her. The massive jutsu she commanded was done so with a mastery he couldn’t recall - he had seen Amaya level areas of forests and destroy any building she was in if she activated it indoors. He attempted to handle the water going through his stomach and felt his skin burning from the water that had punctured him. He looked to the sign above the building next door - onsen. 

Amaya held Hideki’s forlorn gaze, “I want Ko.” 

Hideki’s shaking hands made an attempt at making seals but a sudden surge came, two more knives of water - he watched his arms fall to the ground. 

Sasuke observed from beside the inn. ‘You’re brutal,’ Sasuke thought with pride. 

Hideki realised then that he wasn’t bleeding out despite the immense damage his body had sustained - the hot water from the onsen had cauterised his wounds and he understood then that Amaya had plans to keep him alive as long as he was useful - he needed to plot his escape. “I haven’t seen Ko since I left Konoha.” 

Amaya pursed her lips and nodded. “That may be so, but that’s not the answer I want.” She sent a shockwave through the sharp whips that extended from her and watched as Hideki threw up from the pain. “Where is he?” 

Hideki felt his vision blur, “I’m telling the truth.” 

Amaya clenched her jaw, “I kept you alive out of the two of you because Jiro has no common sense - but I wish I kept him alive now over you. I never thought you would be so disappointing.” Amaya stood, “Jiro was blindly loyal, but you were smart, you would understand a situation in a instant. You need to understand that giving me what I want is the only way you will make it out of this alive.” 

Hideki felt his bones shudder. “Suna.” 

Amaya smiled, “smart - go to a place without water.” 

“You’re nothing without that jutsu - and if there isn’t moisture there isn’t a juts-…” Hideki was ripped asunder with a clench of Amaya’s fist. 

Amaya let her jutsu vanish and she rolled her shoulders to relax them. Her heart thudded in her chest. She looked to Sasuke. “We’ve got our next destination.” 

Sasuke’s eyes carried to the corpses Amaya had left, “we should at least get rid of the bits.” He wondered what impact their visit would have on the small town. He wondered how many people had watched from their windows petrified that they might be next.

Amaya rolled her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke lowered his bare body into the hot, cleansing pool of water. He closed his eyes and thought of Amaya, of how resolute and strong her body looked the day before, how her gaze and stance commanded reverence. ‘Nothing has changed, it seems,’ he thought gladly. Even as very young children Amaya had had an aloofness about her, she had always seemed standoffish - he knew that was one of the reasons why he had been so drawn to her. But as their friendship blossomed he became acquainted with the cheerful side of her, the side that always wished for the best deep down - the mother in her.

“These springs are amazing!”

Sasuke closed his eyes when he heard Amaya’s voice carry over the wooden fence that separated the women’s bathing area from the men’s. “You’re just lucky the owners let you stay to enjoy it.” He heard Amaya scoff in the same way she always did. At that moment in time he calculated that he had known Amaya for 12 years…he despaired for himself. 

“It’s just annoying that we have to be separated by a wall - I want to talk mission tactics without the whole town hearing me.” 

Sasuke sunk into the water until it pooled to his chin. He felt truly peaceful. “Do you remember that time it snowed so bad in that small cottage we went to that we were stuck there for three days without enough food? Mother rationed the leftover rice and we would all huddle by the fire to keep warm.” He wondered why he recalled the memory - but he was glad he did. “You told us it wasn’t even cold, that because we were the nation of fire we had become too comfortable.” 

“The Mist grow hardy folk, Sasuke.” 

Sasuke inhaled calmly and watched the ripples emanate in the water. “You felt like part of the family.” He said quietly as he remembered Amaya chopping wood with Itachi, at that age she swung the axe with more accuracy than Sasuke had. “I didn’t ever want a sister, but at that time I felt like I had one.” 

“When I moved to Konoha the only thing I wanted was a family.” 

Sasuke opened his eyes, he had wanted to see Amaya so he could at least see the emotion she had attempted to mask with her monotoned voice. He heard Amaya stand on the other side of the fence, he heard her footsteps on the wood and the sound of the sliding door closing. He waited a moment and thought whether or not he should leave the baths too - but he froze when Amaya appeared at the doorway to the mens side of the baths. She was wrapped in a towel, her long grey hair was tied in a knot on the top of her head. His instinct was to move to a deeper area of the pool but he realised the water was milky enough for him to remain covered. He averted his gaze when he saw Amaya’s fingers working at the edge of her towel. Within seconds he felt a presence beside him. “We will get told off.” He said in a hiss.

Amaya shrugged a defiant shoulder. “I have been to so many bath houses that are mixed gender - separating men and women is so prudish.” She looked across the water and carried her eyes to the blue sky. “I feel like I became a member of your family on that trip - I was so shocked when Itachi said your mother insisted I come.” 

Sasuke felt himself relax when he stopped thinking about their shoulders being close to touching - he couldn’t quite, however, rid himself of the realisation that he was naked next to a naked women for the first time. “My mother had said she was glad to have two sons, but there is something about the way she looked at you that made me think she yearned for a daughter.” 

“Two out of three kids in ANBU would have been a great statistic for her.” Amaya chuckled to herself as she sunk lower into the warm water. “Would you want a son or a daughter?”

Sasuke felt himself shudder, “I won’t have children.” 

Amaya closed her eyes, “you might - there’s no knowing what could happen.” She inhaled a level breath in the pause, “I would like a son.” 

Sasuke looked sidelong at her as she relaxed into the water, “any particular reason?” He pressed with curiosity.

“I don’t seem to make friends with girls, and I don’t want to have a girl just for her to hate me.” 

Sasuke smirked, “I can name plenty of boys who hated you.” 

“That’s only because I was stronger than them.” Amaya grinned. 

Sasuke thought for a moment about what he truly wanted - he was eighteen and the thought of children was a far away concept that he believed he still wouldn’t be ready for even in his thirties. He felt Amaya’s arm touch his beneath the water - he felt his body tighten with both anticipation and fear. His fingers crept to hers and her fingers wrapped around his.

“THIS IS NOT A MIXED BATH! YOU TWO HAVE CAUSED NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE YOU GOT HERE, KIDS SHOULDN’T BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER LET ALONE IN BATHS COMPLETELY NAKED.” The owner of the inn was hysterical, “I WANT YOU TO BOTH LEAVE. HAVE YOU NO SHAME?” 

Sasuke was panicked, he didn’t know how to respond - he reached for his towel but his eyes suddenly looked to where Amaya was to find her stood up in the water - the depth she was in covered only to her lower back. He was transfixed by the sight of her facing him, unshaken by her own exposure. 

Amaya turned to face the owner and she pulled a face. “We’re not kids, and we’re not doing anything wrong. I’ve heard you walking past our room at night to check on us - I’m sure you heard nothing suspicious.” 

‘Other than the snoring…’ Sasuke thought in hopes of distracting his thoughts from the memory of Amaya’s breasts. He picked up his towel and covered himself and stepped out of the bath as the inn owner shied away from Amaya’s now full nudity which he had, rather surprisingly, quickly grown accustomed to. 

Amaya stepped out of the bath and picked up her towel, covered herself and looked back to Sasuke. “We better pack.” 

*****

Sasuke walked behind Amaya for a time. They had since left the small town and were making their way through the woods that surrounded it. He watched her as she walked, her shoulders were relaxed, her arms swung with each step she took - she had taken down her hair and it hung loose down her back. “I didn’t realise you were a nudist.” He couldn’t help but bring it up - her apparent confidence with being in such a state of undress had shaken him, he wondered if she had been naked in front of someone else before.

Amaya carried on walking, “we’ve all got bodies, Sasuke.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shifted his pack on his shoulder. “You just seemed like you’d done it before.” 

“Why?” 

Sasuke felt his skin harden, he hadn’t quite thought up a good enough reason to deflect such a question.

“I haven’t slept with anyone if that’s what you’re implying.” Amaya had slowed her pace to allow Sasuke to catch up - she glanced up at him as they ambled together. “Have you?” 

Sasuke felt his jaw tighten. 

Amaya smiled and gave his arm a nudge, she wanted to him loosen up a bit. “I have kissed a few people - I have liked a few people too.” She thought of her myriad of crushes, some had lasted mere moments as she passed someone on the street and pictured herself being thrown against a wall by them and ravaged, others lasted months and were special and heartfelt. And the final one… she thought about the years she had spent in agony. 

Sasuke kept his steps in time with Amaya’s and he thought about his own experiences. “I’ve only kissed Naruto.” And he sighed desperately when Amaya clutched her stomach with laughter.

Amaya squealed and held Sasuke’s arm for support. “When I heard about that I almost died. It is a precious, precious memory. I wish I had been there to see it!” She wiped a tear from her eye, “I’ve kissed Naruto as well, you know.” 

Sasuke’s head turned in three jagged movements, “what?” 

“Just before I left Konoha.” Amaya recalled, “I had a bit of a thing for him for a while actually - when he came back from training with Jiraiya he just…he had blossomed.” 

Sasuke felt sick knowing that even Naruto had done more than him. “I suppose that moment fulfilled a lot of fantasies for the both of you. Naruto was borderline psychotic when it came to his feelings for you.” He remembered all of the arguments he, Naruto and Sakura had about Amaya. “Sakura despised you for it.” 

Amaya let go of Sasuke’s arm but remained close enough so that her shoulder brushed his. “To this day I truly don’t know why.” 

Sasuke looked ahead along the wooded path, wild flowers grew at the roots of the towering trees and birds sung their sunset songs. “You were a threat, you know that.” 

Amaya frowned, “she didn’t like Naruto as more than a friend, so she shouldn’t be mad that he liked me - she wanted you, I wasn’t standing in her way - I’m not in charge you.” 

“I think she thought we liked each other.” 

Amaya felt her heartbeat quicken, she had had crushes, yes - but the one that never went away was Sasuke. She felt her mouth begin to water with anxiety, all of the boldness she had exhibited earlier had all but vanished. She loved him. She loved the way his hair fell over his face, she loved the way his eyes glittered when sunlight caught them, she loved the sound of his voice when he said her name, the smile he gave her and the way he always sought her gaze. She loved that she grew up with him and his family. She loved the man he had become. “And did we?” 

Sasuke swallowed the hard lump that had suddenly grown in his throat, “I-…”


	9. Chapter 9

“I didn’t have time for those kinds of things, Amaya.” 

Amaya felt her body go cold, she gave Sasuke a resolute smile. “Too busy being turning to the dark side - I get ya.” 

Sasuke watched as Amaya strode ahead of him, the trees before them had opened up and a large pond sat in the opening - ducks swam on the water between the reeds. His eyes followed Amaya as she knelt pond side and reached her hand out to the ducks. In truth he had tried to make no time for such feelings - and he was a young boy the last time he had seen Amaya, the feelings he had recognised as being something more than friendship he buried when he left Konoha. 

Amaya let her fingers trace the water before standing up with a sigh. “We should stop here for the night.” She set down her pack, “we can catch some fish in this pond.” 

“Or a duck.” Sasuke felt his stomach rumble. He sat with Amaya long after the sun had set, their fish cooked over the fire and their sleeping bags were laid out beneath the stars. He wondered what it would have been like to pursue someone, he hadn’t taken a lot of the normal steps teenagers would take. “Would you ever consider leading a different life to this?” 

Amaya rotated the fish, “as in a different career?” She watched as Sasuke nodded. Amaya watched the fire intently, “I think about it a lot actually. I’d like to live as a civilian, own a small shop - I always loved Ino’s shop, I’d have friends and we would chat in the streets, I would run my business and go home at the end of the day and go to bed early, rise early and repeat. I would find a husband, have children and eventually die an old and happy woman.” She felt a sense of romance in her heart when she spoke about the life she wanted. “I’d watch the stars twinkle from the window of my bedroom as I nursed my son, I’d walk with other mothers in the day whilst my husband took charge of the shop. We would gossip about other mothers or news from the village.”

“Your aspirations seem very unremarkable.” Sasuke filled the silence Amaya had left him with. 

Amaya smiled sadly, “I couldn’t live that life now knowing what I had seen was possible. If I had been born unremarkable then certainly that would have been the life I would be proud to lead.” Amaya leant forward and reached for their plates, “I’ve watched comrades die in front of me, I’ve been tortured, I’ve lost friends, family and even the love of a village.” She served their food, “how can a person come back from that?” 

Sasuke mulled Amaya’s words as he ate and considered his own decisions and redemption. “I agree with you that after everything it would be a difficult life to lead, but I would have shared it with you had we been able to. If I wasn’t born an Uchiha, if you weren’t born to be The Shrike…perhaps everything would have been as you said.” 

“And maybe you may have had the time to feel something more than just revenge.” 

Sasuke felt the poison from Amaya’s tone seep into his lungs. He held his breath for a moment before filling his mouth and chewing the fish. “The fish is good.” He watched as Amaya bowed her head with thanks and continued to eat her meal. He imagined what his normal life with Amaya would have been like - how they may have met…he would likely have only gone into a flower shop to have purchased a gift for his mother, he pictured Amaya stood at the counter arranging a display, sunlight in her hair and her pale skin made warm by the kiss of it. He would hand her the bouquet and ask her advise on whether it was a suitable gift for a mother - she would say no and pick flowers of rich oranges, yellows and whites, tie them together with string. He would regard her with awe when her bright eyes met his. “Do you like flowers?” Sasuke broke the spell of his daydream for a moment. 

Amaya toasted her hands over the fire for a moment, “I do.” She said with a small laugh, “they’re very beautiful.” 

Sasuke inhaled the information and slipped back into silence. He imagined the next day going back to the flower shop and thanking Amaya for her services - that his mother enjoyed the flowers very much. He would watch her smile and he would feel his palms begin to perspire. He would gather the courage to ask her on a date, a walk - anything to see her again. He hoped she would say yes. Days would pass until he would see her again and every waking moment he would think of her, hoping that she would meet him just as she said she would. “What kind of man would you marry?” 

Amaya leant back on her hands and kicked out her legs, “Good question,” she paused and looked again to the stars. “Someone who makes me laugh, someone who was my very best friend - a person who was dependable and strong willed, someone who I would be absolutely proud of every single day, and truly glad to be around.” 

Sasuke pictured the moment he would realise that Amaya was the women he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It didn’t come long after the first date, weeks were all that was needed. They would laugh together, spend evenings walking the length of the village talking about all the things they had done up until that moment and expressing their wishes for the future. He steal glances at her as they weaved through the eaves of the willows that lined the road leading out of the village, he would see her smile and feel his heart pound in his chest. He would see in her eyes the life he wanted to live, a simple life of peace. He thought about their children and how they would be the perfect manifestation of their love. It would be in that moment, as he swept the eaves aside that he would kiss her and the world would stop for those few moments. “How would you know?” 

Amaya looked long at Sasuke, “know that I loved him?” 

Sasuke noticed a pain in Amaya’s eyes. He thought for a moment if he should have asked her such things.

Amaya smiled wholly, “when it’s the right person you just know.” She held Sasuke’s gaze and wondered if she should tell him. 

“Maybe you can still achieve that.” Sasuke said as he straightened his back. “In Kiri.” 

Amaya watched Sasuke lie down and close his eyes. She felt hollowed out by his dismissal. She lay down as well and let the tears roll down her cheeks as she gazed at the stars.

*****

The winds of Suna carved their way through the sands and whipped up huge clouds of dust. Much of the scenery was a sea of yellow, undulating like waves, but far to the north, almost like a mirage in the hot gaze of the sun, was structure - a huge wall. Beyond the wall lay the Village Hidden in the Sand. Amaya was weary from the long days she and Sasuke had travelled. They had passed through huge sandstorms to reach the village. She walked beside Sasuke into an inn, where they paid to stay for a week. In their room she unburdened her shoulders and let her pack drop to the floor with a thud. “We should approach Gaara and see if he knows of anything suspicious.” 

Sasuke had been content with to rest for the night before pursuing anything to do with why they were there. “Gaara is the Kazekage, we can’t just walk in there.” 

Amaya frowned and rubbed her eyes, the motion caused sand to drop from her hair. “I can at least try.” 

“Are you acquainted with him at all?” 

“Never met the kid.” Amaya shook her head. 

Sasuke stood and dusted off his cloak, “you stay here and have a bath, I will go to his office and see what I can arrange.” 

Amaya rolled her eyes and conceded to Sasuke’s advise. She watched him leave before going into the bathroom, she ran the water and undressed. She sat on the edge of the bath and thought about her next move with the mission. 

Sasuke travelled the streets of Suna, his feet knew the way instinctively even though he had never been to the city before. He climbed several sets of stairs before coming to a large room, a single desk sat in the centre. He approached. 

“Can I help you?” 

Sasuke looked at the small, old woman before him. “I need to see the Kazekage.” 

“Impossible.” 

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 

“The Kazekage isn’t taking meetings today.” 

Sasuke tried to loosen his hostile stance in attempt to seem more amiable. “I know Gaara quite well, he would see me if he knew I was here asking for him.” 

“That may be the case, young man, but as mentioned the Kazekaga isn’t seeing anyone today.” 

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, the door to the kazekages office lay just beyond the tiny woman in front of him. He opened his eyes and his Sharingan flashed, the woman smiled and looked past Sasuke as though he wasn’t there. Sasuke passed her, stepped through the door and was met by a long corridor. He walked down it for some time before he came to a doorway, he stood in it and saw Gaara looking out of the window. “The woman you have at the desk is a dragon.” 

Gaara turned and looked Sasuke up and down. “I got word of your arrival some time ago, I didn’t think to see you in Suna.” 

Sasuke stepped into the stately room and looked out of the large windows that watched all of Suna, “I’m helping a friend.” He motioned to the seat in front of Gaara’s desk and took a seat when Gaara nodded. “Which is why I have come here today. “There is someone here I am tracking, I want to know if you know where he is. He’s ex ANBU, and he took another member of ANBU hostage during the war.”

Gaara sat and set his hat down, “you’re referring to the Shrike. She’s considered a criminal here, I could have her killed.” 

Sasuke held Gaara’s gaze, “you can’t punish her for following orders. She was ANBU, if they were sent on a mission they had to carry it out.” 

Gaara watched Sasuke carefully, “she carried out her missions with the same brutality as your brother did. The ANBU is truly a ruthless organisation-…” He stopped suddenly as the distant sound of an explosion came from the Southside of the city. Both he and Sasuke went to the window and saw a distant smoke cloud. 

Sasuke threw his fist at the glass and shattered it and leapt down to the next building and carried on along each rooftop until he could no longer see his hands in front of him from the thick smoke. He covered his mouth and pushed forward, finding the inn they were staying in to be all but obliterated. He closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the sounds around him, reaching out for anything familiar. He was still enough to suddenly feel gentle ripples of water inside himself - he drove forward into the rubble, pulled back planks of wood and concrete - what emerged was an upturned bathtub, he lifted it just slightly and watched a lifeless arm fall out.


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke lay awake that night in a guest room provided by the Kazekage. He had been trying to sleep for some hours. The explosion had impacted only a small area of the village, there had been two casualties and one with serious injuries. Those who had died were the two members of staff that had been working in the inn that day, an older man who dealt with the bookings and reception work, along with his daughter who kept the small inn clean. Sasuke had met both of them that afternoon when he and Amaya had checked in. Amaya was being treated for her injuries in the hospital. Sasuke closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep, to stop thinking about what had happened. The room was silent, deathly so. The silence disturbed Sasuke so much that he reached for his cloak and left the room, he made light work of the distance between where he was staying and the hospital and went inside, passed through the corridors almost unnoticed and went into Amaya’s room. He regarded her with sadness. She wore a white gown, her hair had been singed by fire to a point where a lot of it would have to be cut off, her face was decorated with cuts, grazes and bruises. The skin on her left arm was being treated for severe burns and her right ankle wore a thick cast. He settled in the chair next to her bed. “Amaya?” He whispered into the darkness. She hadn’t yet woken since the blast. He hoped she would. He listened to the sound of her breathing, every now and again he would hear a slight snore. Sasuke woke to birdsong and sunshine, he felt stiff when he became aware of his body and he sat up to try and eradicate this. He rubbed his eyes and looked to Amaya, in the morning light the severity of her wounds became clear. Much of the skin on her face was red and sore, thick bruises framed the left side of her face, whilst cuts caused by shrapnel framed the right. He inhaled a jagged breath and reached for her hand. 

“She’s stable.” 

Sasuke hadn’t heard the door open, but he welcomed the visit from Gaara. “She is.” He looked up at the Kazekage. “Ko must have known we were here.” 

Gaara nodded and pulled up a chair, he cast his eyes over Amaya. “She doesn’t look as formidable as the stories describe her.” He glanced to Sasuke, “is she?” 

Sasuke let go of Amaya’s hand and leant back in his chair. “She does what she needs to do.” He affirmed, “but she has a very kind and loving heart.” 

Gaara nodded slowly and looked out of the window. “I won’t have conflicts between two defected ANBU members spilling into my city.” He said levelly, “I will lend whatever help to help her recover.” Gaara stood and made for the door. “I have informed the Hokage about what has happened here, that you and the Shrike are here - I suspect you will both be asked to return to Konoha.” 

“Amaya.” Sasuke said with a bite. “Her name is Amaya.” 

Gaara was met a the door by a member of his security team, he was passed a message. “It’s a response from Konoha…” he opened the small scroll, “Naruto and his team are on their way by the order of the Hokage to bring you both back to Konoha.” 

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes.

*****

“What the hell happened, Sasuke? Why are the two of you together in the first place and why were you not there to stop Amaya from being hospitalised? You said you were going to find yourself and Gaara has told me you’re tracking someone from ANBU?” 

Sasuke’s eyes focused on the empty space to his left where Naruto didn’t occupy, “Amaya is fine.” 

Sakura, who watched Naruto pace around the room, looked plainly at Sasuke, “she was blown up. She’s lucky to be alive.” 

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “She knows the dangers of what she took on.” 

Naruto stood in front of Sasuke and looked him hard in the eye, “why weren’t you with her?” 

“I was gathering information-…” 

“If she died in that moment I would hold you wholly responsible.” 

Sakura was taken aback by Naruto’s words and she stood and held up her hands, “look, there’s no need for friction. She will recover from all of her wounds just fine. Once she is safe to travel we will all go back to Konoha and forget all of this.” 

“Amaya isn’t going back to Konoha.” Naruto said despondently, “she wants to go back to Kiri.” He closed his sullen eyes, “but you?” He glowered at Sasuke, “you need to come back with us and stop endangering her life.” 

Sasuke shook his head defiantly, “you do realise Amaya is capable of making her own decisions - she came here of her own volition, she sought revenge. I offered to help in tracking those down who she wanted to apprehend. And much like Amaya I am also capable of making my own decisions - I am not going back to Konoha.” 

Sakura listened to Naruto and Sasuke shout at one another for a few moments before she took her leave. She went knowingly down the corridors of the hospital and found Amaya’s room with ease. She peered through the glass and saw Amaya’s ankle bound in thick plaster cast. She opened the door and stared at Amaya. “You look awful.” Sakura mused aloud. She rounded the bed and took a seat, on the table were beautiful wildflowers - the looked handpicked. Oranges, yellows and whites tied with string. They smelled delightful. Her eyes focused on Amaya’s hair, it was matted and the ends were singed black. She reached for Amaya’s chart that detailed her injuries.“Oh God.” 

Sakura looked to Naruto, who stood aghast in the doorway - she could see tears in his brilliant blue eyes. She remained silent as Naruto rushed to the bedside and cradled Amaya’s hand in his. 

“It’s okay, Amaya.” 

Sakura put a hand on Naruto’s shuddering shoulder, “she won’t respond, Naruto - they have induced a coma to help the healing process.” 

Naruto beheld Amaya in disbelief, “what do you mean they? Why would they do such a thing?” 

“Sometimes with head trauma it is safer to medically induce a coma so that the brain doesn’t harm itself.” Sakura explained simply, “it’s the best thing for her at the moment.” 

Naruto wiped the tears that spilled down his cheeks, “how long?” 

Sakura knelt beside Naruto and rested her hand on his, “from her notes she seems to be recovering steadily. Her blood pressure, heart rate and pulse are very normal - she has been here for some days now and already it says the swelling has gone down significantly. Do you see the cut on her head?” Sakura pointed to the hideous abrasion that had risen from Amaya’s forehead like a mountain. “During the blast she was likely hit by something - it could have been the bathtub she was found under… it hit her so hard it has caused damage to her, only minor it seems, but even so to reduce the swelling it is easier to shut down brain function to allow the swelling to calm down.” 

Naruto looked the length of Amaya and felt his hands behind to tremble. “Will she die?” 

Sakura smiled and shook her head. “She’s like a cockroach in that respect - almost impossible to kill.” She gave Naruto’s hand a squeeze, “Suna has a wonderful medical team - and besides, I am here now should anything go wrong.” She assured. 

Sasuke waited on the eaves of the room. He watched Sakura comfort Naruto and he was thankful she did. He felt his jaw tighten when he looked at his friends - he had endangered all of their lives at some stage in their time together. “We should leave her to rest.” Sasuke broke the silence, “lets get some food and we can seek council with Gaara.” 

Naruto rose with Sakura, he let her pass him and he went to Amaya’s head, he leant down and gave her cheek a kiss. He remembered the last time he saw her and the intimacy they had shared. He smiled at her and steeled himself as he stood. “Ramen would help.” 

As they walked the streets of Suna Sasuke explained Amaya’s motives for seeking out the defected ANBU. “She was unable to join us in the war because she was being held prisoner.” 

“Root did that to her arm?” Sakura asked. 

Naruto felt shame for his village. “Amaya never told me what happened - she said she had been captured but not by Root.” He glanced to Sasuke, “does Kakashi know about this?” 

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, “she went to him for a pardon but other than that I don’t know what else she divulged.” 

Naruto shook his head and pocketed his hands, “poor Amaya.” 

Sakura glanced along the road and saw a ramen shop. “Do you think whoever did this is still nearby?” 

“I’m not sure, it could have been an attempt to put some space between Amaya and him - or he believes he killed Amaya and has since left Suna.” Sasuke waited and let Sakura go ahead into the shop before him. “He could still be here.” 

Naruto sat on the stool and rubbed his hands together with anticipation for his meal. “Gaara will have guards watching the hospital.” 

Sasuke wondered how Naruto could balance both a sad tone with a gleeful expression in anticipation for his meal. “I have been staying with her as often as I can, but I need to gather as much intelligence as I can so I ask the both of you to take up the job in my stead.” 

Naruto rattled off his ramen order and he looked Sasuke hard in the eye. “it makes sense to have the strongest watching over her, so I accept.” 

Sakura watched with humour until the moment Sasuke’s eyes locked with hers, “what?” 

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, “promise me you will look after her?” 

Sakura felt her cheeks blush a hot red. “Of course.”


	11. Chapter 11

Morning broke on Suna, the sun shone just as it did every day, but the village below could not enjoy its glow - thick, dark clouds shrouded the brilliant light. Within the confines of the hospital sat Naruto and Sakura, they had done the same thing every day for a month. Naruto stood up and felt his knees crack. “Would you like some breakfast?” 

Sakura was startled by the sudden sound of Naruto’s voice, but she smiled. “I’d love something, thank you.” She kept her eyes on Amaya as Naruto left. The bruises on her face had healed but a long, red scar lined her brow. ‘Maybe now is the time to cut that hair’, Sakura thought about the matted mess that had taken over Amaya’s head, it was something akin to a birds nest that had just barely survived a hurricane. She reached around in her bag and found the scissors she had had in there for some weeks. “I could cut it all off…” She said deviously to herself as she approached Amaya. Sakura pulled up her seat to Amaya’s bed and pursed her lips in thought as to how she should manoeuvre the mass. She concluded she would start with the front where the majority of damage had been sustained, she opened the scissors confidently but she felt a sudden chill in her bones - she looked down to see Amaya’s eyes open and she made attempt to evade the fist that hurtled towards her head. She was knocked aside and she lay on the floor. “Don’t move too much-…”

“Do you really think so lowly of yourself that you would attack someone who is sleeping - in their own home!?” 

Sakura looked in horror at Amaya, “You’re in hospital Amaya - in Suna.” 

Amaya ingested her surroundings, she looked down and saw the long white gown, on her wrists she wore wristbands with her name on them. She heard the faint beeping of the heart monitor she was attached to. She looked to her ankle that wore a thick cast. “What happened?” 

Sakura regained her composure but concealed the scissors in anticipation of another attack. “You were blown up.”

Amaya nodded slowly, “why are you here?” 

Sakura pointed to Amaya’s hair, “Today I’m here to sort out your hair - but the Kazekage sent for us, Sasuke asked for us to keep an eye on you whilst he tried to track down the person who did this.” 

Amaya reached her hand to her hair and indeed felt that a lot of it was missing, she felt the rough ends of a burnt out clump. “How long?” She asked before her eyes carried to the sound of the door sliding open, she felt her heart thud when she saw Naruto hold two cups of tea and a paper bag no doubt filled with all kinds of food. She opened her mouth to speak but her words wouldn’t form. 

Naruto pushed their breakfast into Sakura’s waiting hands and he threw his arms around Amaya, pushing her back into the bed with his whole body. “I can’t believe I wasn’t here when you woke up!” Naruto yelled. 

Amaya held Naruto and made a small mental note of the areas of her body that ached from the embrace. “I wish you were, Sakura came at me with scissors.” 

Naruto held her tighter, “I won’t leave you alone again.” 

Sakura rolled her eyes and set down the food. She sipped her tea and listened to Naruto regale the things he had done in Suna when he hadn’t been watching over Amaya. “You have been instructed to return to Konoha.” Sakura said when a natural silence presented itself. “Once you have been given the all clear we will depart.” 

Amaya grew rigid, “I’m going back to Kiri. Kakashi has allowed me to do so.” 

Sakura shrugged an idol shoulder, “He gave the order to bring you back and being that it is the most recent order and given to someone trustworthy like myself I will uphold it.” 

Naruto grimaced. 

“You know who I am, don’t you?” Amaya narrowed her eyes. “I could kill you before you even realise what is happening.” 

Sakura stood up and smiled, “that may be so, but you can’t beat Naruto and he has been given the same order.” She turned on her heel. “I hoped the bang to your thick head would have shaken some humility into you but you are still a tempestuous wretch of a woman.” 

Amaya scoffed and looked to Naruto when Sakura had slammed the sliding door shut. “You do know I won’t go back there even if you try to force me.” 

Naruto smiled meekly, “we will worry about that another time.” He let his eyes consume his friend, when he had last seen her conscious she had pristine skin, dazzlingly bright eyes and beautiful long hair. “You look like shit, Amaya. Honestly, I can’t believe I ever fancied you.”

Amaya chuckled to herself. “I can imagine.” She felt her body shudder with sudden exhaustion. “I’ll be pretty again soon, I promise.” She eased her body back in the bed and leant against the pillow. “Where is Sasuke?” 

Naruto folded his arms, “I haven’t seen him for three weeks.” He was ashamed of his friend for leaving Amaya in such a state without so much as checking in on her. “He said something about finding the person responsible.”

Amaya lowered her eyes, “I’m guessing you know what I’m doing and what happened to me.” 

Naruto nodded solemnly and fell onto his knees at the side of the bed, “I’m sorry on behalf of the village.” He felt his hair flatten under the weight of Amaya’s hand. “Please forgive Konoha?” 

Amaya reached her fingers to Naruto’s chin and she guided his head up so she could see is eyes. “There is nothing to forgive.” She said with a smile. “I’m fixing what needs to be fixed, and once I do I’m going to build a better life for myself.” She could see tears welling in Naruto’s eyes. “I will visit you, Naruto. Maybe one day with a students of my own.” 

***** 

Sasuke peered through the window into Amaya’s room, he saw Amaya’s covered feet, but the rest of her was obstructed by the wall. He inhaled a long breath before entering the room. He took a seat beside her and looked at her for a long while - she slept peacefully. He observed her face and noticed her wounds had almost all gone - she wore now a long scar which he knew Amaya would be proud of. He noticed then her hair - before he had left it had been a long, burnt and haggard mess, what was left was short, taken up over her ears and at the back and a sweeping side fringe. He held his breath for a moment in awe. 

“It’s a nice haircut, isn’t it?” 

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment to regain composure. “You shouldn’t pretend to be asleep.” He allowed his muscles to relax.

Amaya smiled and opened an eye, “and you shouldn’t watch a sleeping woman the way you were.” 

Sasuke shook his head and leaned back in the chair. “So I’m guessing you’re okay?” 

Amaya rolled onto her side and pulled the covers up to her chin, “the cast comes off my foot tomorrow.” She admired Sasuke for a brief moment, his hair had started to grow over his rinnegan. “We will be ready to carry on.” 

Sasuke let out a sigh, “Amaya-…”

“Don’t you dare tell me you’re going back to Konoha on their demands?” Amaya butted in. “If you’re going to tuck tail and leave me here after everything I will never speak to you again. You’ve put me through so much these past few years and just because Kakashi is ordering you back you’re going to go? Ignoring the will of your village is your thing!” 

Sasuke was taken aback by her outburst. “I was just going to say we would need to sneak away so that it doesn’t cause a fight…” He watched Amaya’s cheeks flush and he smiled. “I’m not leaving you.” 

“Well-…” Amaya started before laughing. She felt her brow furrow as the laughter died off. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” She reached her fist to Sasuke, “friends?” 

Sasuke leant forward and touched his fist against hers. It had been something they had done after fights as kids - something Itachi had instilled in them. “Friends.” He corroborated. He let his fist fall and he rested his elbows on his knees. “Short hair suits you.” 

Amaya propped herself up on her elbow and reached her other hand into her hair, “Are you sure? Sakura cut into it too much so she had to take it right in.” 

“She probably did it on purpose to make you look like a boy.” Sasuke jested but when Amaya pulled a face he softened his approach, “You have a very pretty face.” 

Amaya held her breath for a moment. “Are you coming onto me?” Amaya covered her mouth, “are you my boyfriend now?” She mumbled through her fingers.

“I’m trying to make you feel better.” Sasuke leant back and folded his arms, “you always take things too far Amaya.” He rolled his eyes when he heard her begin to cackle in that maniacal way she always did. He thought about how peaceful she had looked when she was pretending to sleep. How the dim light of the room hugged the peaks of her cheekbones and how the shadows accentuated the dips. He thought about her lips and how they had been parted just slightly. He felt his body go rigid when he heard Amaya making lurid, wet kissing noises. ‘I can’t believe I wanted to kiss you’, he thought in despair.


	12. Chapter 12

Amaya glowered at Sakura and then furrowed her brow in misery as she looked to Naruto. “Why do I need to go with her?” 

Naruto folded his arms and remained resolute, “protection.” 

“She couldn’t protect me.” Amaya scoffed with petulance. “You just don’t want to come shopping with me, because you think it’s going to be weird to go shopping with a girl.” She was disgusted by her scandalous accusation.

Naruto shook his head and thought to admit defeat and go with her instead. 

“I agree with Amaya.” 

Naruto stood up with strength, “Amaya you’re not in charge here, Sakura is going with you.” 

Amaya felt her jaw tighten with frustration, “I want to get new clothes, it will take less than 20 minutes. Everything I own is grey or black there is no need for any kind of fashion advice that Sakura may feel she has a right to offer. It will be a bodysuit so I will remain flexible and covered. With some sturdy shoes. That’s it.” 

Sakura peered at Naruto. “She is more than capable of going alone.” She glanced to Amaya, “and besides, any advice I could offer wouldn’t be able to sort that mess out.” 

Naruto glanced past the warring women and saw Sasuke enter the hospital room with Amaya’s discharge papers. “Sasuke, wouldn’t you agree that the best person to accompany and protect Amaya during her shopping trip would be Sakura?” 

Sasuke remained at the door and folded Amaya’s papers up. “Most definitely.” He said dismissively, “Naruto, the Kazekage has summoned us both.” He left the papers on the bedside table, “we have to go.” 

Amaya’s mouth hung when both Naruto and Sasuke disappeared without a further word. “That was rude.” 

Sakura shook her head in dismay. She flicked her green eyes to Amaya’s papers, “you better take those.” 

Amaya shrugged on the jumper the hospital had provided her. “Let’s hurry, I don’t want to spend a minute longer here.” She strode out of the room with nothing, her belongings had all been destroyed in the explosion - her clothes had been destroyed, her bags, her weapons…the small mementos she had kept from her childhood. She recalled the crumpled note she had kept in the back of her weapon pouch, the one Sasuke had written to her some months before. She treasured delicate strokes of his handwriting. With that she kept a charm from a necklace Itachi had once gifted her on her birthday, the chain had long since gone but Amaya had kept the charm. She looked at her feet as they carried her through Suna, “Do you want to stop for some breakfast after we have finished?” 

Sakura had felt a sadness emanating from Amaya since she had woken from her coma - having learned that everything she owned was gone. “I am hungry.” 

Amaya nodded to herself as she glanced up and saw the entryway into a clothing shop, she ducked under the cloth and stood for a moment. She noticed a slim woman in the back of the shop. “Could you help?” She called out and the woman rushed over, Amaya listed her requirements and she was told they stocked a lot of stuff that would be to her needs. She waited beside Sakura until the woman returned. 

“This material is very flexible, you will be able to scrap, fight, lunge and do just about anything in it - it’s very durable.” The woman said quickly, “is the colour to your liking?” 

Amaya smiled, “it’s great - I’ll take it.” 

“Would you like me to sew on your clan’s crest? It’s at no extra charge.” 

Sakura felt a pang of curiosity in that moment, she had attempted to research Amaya years ago when she had first become aware of her - Sakura never found a family with the name Haruko in all of Kirigakure. Sakura had never found out the circumstances in which Amaya came to Konoha. 

Amaya handed money to the shopkeeper with gratitude. “I don’t have a clan.” She smiled and bowed her head. “May I change here?” She felt her skin itching from the clothes she was given at the hospital, the fabric was loose and coarse. Sakura walked around the shop and touched some of the finer fabrics, as well as technical clothing the owner also sold fine kimono. Sakura imagined herself dancing between the falling cherry blossoms, it was her wedding day and she wore a fine pale pink kimono with delicate green accents around the collar, the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem at her ankles. She hoped her future husband would approve. Sakura stirred from her fantasy and saw Amaya striding towards her - she remembered the first time she had seen Amaya, a flash of grey and a white mask…slender arms bare to the weather, with a high necked shirt under an open grey vest. Sakura felt cold when she beheld Amaya now, she was taller than her, her arms were muscled and her shoulders strong, her chest was small and pushed almost flat by the tightness of her bodysuit, her waist was small and her hips broad - her legs were long and impossibly strong. Sakura felt envy for the body Amaya had, the years of relentless training had honed something to be proud of and yet Sakura knew Amaya wasn’t at all aware of her gifts. Sakura followed Amaya out of the shop and into the sunshine and wished away her rumbling stomach. 

“Are you still hungry?” Amaya asked quietly after a few moments of aimless wandering. She glanced back at Sakura and watched her nod uncertainly. Amaya inhaled levelly and slowed her pace until she was beside Sakura, “Sasuke and I stopped at a very nice tea house on our first day here.” She took a left down a small street, “do you like tea?” 

Sakura felt uncomfortable at the fact that Amaya knew so little about her, but also that she knew next to nothing about Amaya’s likes or dislikes. “I like tea.” She managed to say quietly as she watched the sandy path ahead of them. All she knew about Amaya was that she came from Kiri, she moved to Konoha when she was six and had been trained to become ANBU from around that age. “Did you know Sasuke’s family well?” One thing that had always bothered her in their youth was Amaya’s closeness to Sasuke, she was brave enough now to ask.

Amaya blinked as she pondered why Sakura would want to know something like that. “I did.” Amaya gave a non-committal answer. “It’s just along here.” 

“Ah-…” Sakura nudged into Amaya’s shoulder when she stopped in front of the tea house. “Sorry-…” 

Amaya stepped into the tea house and sat down. “They were a great family in the eyes of someone who had never really had one.” Amaya felt herself soften and she watched Sakura’s eyes light up in reception of the new information. “Itachi was everything I imagined a big brother to be, he was encouraging, caring and thoroughly kind. Fugaku was aloof, hard to understand and very dedicated to his family. Mikoto…” Amaya paused when she thought of Mikoto, “she was a beautiful person, the mother I had always wanted.” She looked at her hands and saw them to be shaking. “Sasuke was my very best friend, my rock and my happiness.”

Sakura lowered her eyes, “It must have been nice for you to know what it feels like to have a family.” 

Amaya gave a short nod. She felt sad. 

*****

Sasuke eased open the door to Amaya’s room. It was the middle of the night and it was the time they had agreed to meet outside of the inn they were all staying in - he was vexed that Amaya hadn’t stuck to the plan despite always being so adamant about him keeping time. Inside the room he saw Amaya by the window, beside her was a bag that was filled with the essentials for their next journey together - all of it was new. “Amaya?” His voice pierced the silence. 

“I’m late, I know.” Amaya hurried to finish what she was writing. “I’m saying goodbye.” 

Sasuke sighed with impatience, “this isn’t forever, Amaya - you will see them again-…” 

“I’m not like you, I can’t just leave behind someone I love without saying some kind of farewell.” Amaya hissed back. She clenched her teeth shut as she felt her throat tighten, “Naruto means the world to me and I know he thinks we’re all going back to Konoha tomorrow and that we will laugh the whole way back, that we will all be happy together doing missions and protecting the village but-…” Amaya trailed off, “it’s not fair that he had to see me the way he saw me for me to just vanish into the night without a word.” 

Sasuke lowered his eyes, “I’m sorry.” He touched his hand to the door handle, “I will wait for you downstairs.” He left Amaya to finish her letter and he waited in the moonlight for her to come to him. He thought about what it must be like to feel emotions the way she did. To feel love and loss so fervently. He had loved his parents and he had loved his friends - he had loved, hated and then loved his brother again…but he had never experienced truly unwavering love. He felt the breeze kiss his cheeks and he inhaled the cool air. “I wish I had your heart.” He said when he felt Amaya’s presence behind him. 

Amaya rolled her shoulders underneath her thick cloak, the new pack she wore had hard straps - her old one had been much comfier, “feelings are hard work.” Amaya smiled, “you know that more than anyone.” 

Sasuke looked sidelong at Amaya, “have you ever been in love?” He was curious of her answer to such an unprovoked question. He had always felt admiration for Amaya’s honesty but he wondered if she would become skittish at such a direct question. 

Amaya began walking, the streets were quiet save for the gentle hum of a nearby bar. “Romantically?” She heard the song of laughter not to far away - she felt herself wishing for simplicity.

Sasuke matched Amaya’s steps, “yes.” 

Amaya thought about all those she had cared for, to all those in Konoha she had fancied at one point or another - to those she had seen whilst on a mission and become infatuated with and to those fervent, hurried encounters she had had with some of them . “Just once.” She said when she thought about the person she had never been able to forget.

“How did it feel?” 

Amaya felt her heartbeat quicken, “It felt painful. It still feels painful. But it felt magical, mythical - impossible, it was this intangible thing that I didn’t have the skills to comprehend. Only now am I beginning to understand it, how it can feel absolutely breathtaking in the most uplifting sense of the word and yet so utterly devastating when you realise that sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to.” Amaya rubbed the back of her head anxiously, “I’m never going to have the life I dreamed of, the little flower shop…” she trailed off and smiled when she felt Sasuke’s hand brush hers. “But, you never know.” Her heart beamed with hope.


	13. Chapter 13

Amaya gazed at the moon above her, when her eyes drifted back down to the earth the scorched sand she had walked on for days had, without her noticing, turned into verdant grass and the vast desert she had crossed was suddenly a lush woodland. “Where are we?” She gazed in awe of her surroundings and was thankful for the greenness.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, he hadn’t heard Amaya’s voice for some hours - in truth he had forgotten she was there with him. “The land of Earth.” 

Amaya’s brow furrowed in confusion and she quickened her pace so that she walked beside him. “why are we here? Ko wouldn’t come here.” 

Sasuke inhaled levelly in attempt to dispel the irritation that Amaya’s questions were causing and relished the change in the air instead - his lungs had grown tired from the dryness of the desert. “It is likely Naruto and Sakura will come after us - that they are already coming after us.” He replied.

Amaya felt angered by this, “so we are escaping them instead of carrying on with the mission?” She passed Sasuke, stopping him in his tracks and looked hard at his unforgiving eyes. “We need to finish the mission.” 

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at her demanding statement, “do you know where to go next then?” He challenged and he watched Amaya’s squared shoulders loosen with quick defeat. “The longer we take the better. We keep a low profile and Naruto won’t find us - we keep a low profile and Ko will relax.” His gaze carried to a nearby cave and his weary feet carried him in its direction. 

Amaya begrudgingly followed Sasuke, she picked up firewood with him and once in the cave she sat on her knees as he made light work of starting a fire. “I don’t want to go back to Kiri unfulfilled, I don’t want time to run out.” She held her hands out over the fire in despondence. 

Sasuke watched her through the flames, he noticed an anxiousness in her he had seldom seen. He let his eyes lower to the ground for a moment before he gathered some semblance of composure. “I was afraid you would die back in Suna.” He confessed as he watched Amaya steadily, “I’m glad you survived the blast-…” he cut himself off and felt irritated somewhat by his voice betraying him to the wiles of silence. He focused for a short time and let out a steady breath. “I’m glad to be with you again.” 

Amaya felt her face begin to heat up and the ever present ache in her chest was replaced with heavy, hard thuds. She smiled and held her hand over her heart in hopes of quelling the furious drumming. “I missed you so much.” She felt her brow furrow under the weight of her fears, “I was awake for a few moments under that bath after the blast and I thought I might die without saying that. I missed you every day that you were gone from Konoha. I didn’t want to die without you knowing - without me opening up and saying that you’re the one friend on this earth who I truly love with every part of my heart and soul. You showed me a better life than I could ever have dreamed of.” 

Sasuke felt a smile pull at his lips. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the flower shop.” He was taken aback when he noticed tears streaming down Amaya’s face as she laughed. 

“Any life with you is better than one without.” Amaya wiped at her cheeks and relaxed her posture. “I know you’re not fond of expressions of love or admiration but I just wanted you to know what I wish I could have told you every single day leading up to this moment” She touched her hands together and warred with herself to confess further - that it wasn’t a love of that stopped at just friends. 

“I hold our friendship very dear, I regard you with reverence…you bring me peace and I’m proud to know you. Our time together as children was a light in the darkness that never truly went out despite how much I tried to suffocate it.” Sasuke looked through the fire at Amaya, “if I was a little better with words I would be able to tell you that you are my oldest, dearest friend and the person who has given me all of the strength, courage and wisdom from her heart. You cared for me in ways not many others did, you cried with me after my family…” He slowed to a silence and he rose to his feet and crossed the gap between himself and Amaya, he knelt in front of her and covered her clasped hands with his hand. “I feel happy when I’m with you.” 

Amaya pressed her lips together in an effort to quash the strangling grasp her throat had on her. Her hands shook beneath Sasuke’s and she looked him in the eyes. “I’m-…” 

Sasuke took his hand to Amaya’s cheek and he relished the softness of her skin, he let his fingers brush her hair. His eyes searched Amaya’s face, examined every depth of her complexion - the scar that lined brow was still a soft pink. His thumb brushed the side of her lips and with that he felt them pull into a wide smile. He opened his mouth to speak but the words fell short, he was unable to comprehend his own feelings and explain them to her in that moment. He was unable to translate the emotions he felt when the orange glow caught her oceanic eyes - a vista of fire and water. He felt a surge in his chest when Amaya’s steady hand touched his cheek in return. ‘When it’s the right person you just know.’ Sasuke was reminded of Amaya’s words some weeks ago. At her touch he felt bursts of joy within himself, explosions of happiness and the years he had spent suppressing his wants flowed out of him. 

Amaya beheld Sasuke with wonder, in his eyes were the stars and the endless expanse of space - a vastness she had never been able to understand before now. She felt his hair in between her fingers and an impulse drove her forward - she pressed her lips against his in a gentle and slow exchange of her love for him. As she pulled back she searched his countenance and she found his unfathomably white skin to be tinged with a kiss of redness. Her heart soared and she rocked back with laughter. “I have never had that reaction before.” 

Sasuke gave Amaya a warning glare. “You always have to lower the tone.” He said but found the brief disappointment of the spell being broken melted away when he caught her glittering gaze. 

Amaya grinned wildly and she straightened her back, “can we go again?” 

Sasuke inched closer, “I’m not a ride, Amaya.” His voice was low as he grew closer. He kissed her again and this time both of their bodies pressed against one another, the warmth from her made his skin pucker with goosebumps. He pulled back just slightly but felt no need to open his eyes, he inhaled jaggedly and gripped the fabric of Amaya’s cloak and he felt her hands grasp him and her body shudder, “you’re shaking.”

Amaya inhaled impatiently. “Anticipation.” She said quickly before she pushed him onto his back and climbed atop of him.

*****

Sasuke woke to what he guessed was morning - within the depths of the cave days upon days could have passed without his knowledge. He slowly opened his eyes, the fire had almost burned out and only small embers gave the space any light. He drew in a long and cleansing breath to refresh his mouth, his ears tuned into the familiar noise of Amaya snoring. He smiled. He let his head fall to the left and beside him, sprawled out on her front lay Amaya, her back was bare and her skin puckered with the chill of the cave. He lifted the covers that had fallen down her back up to her neck in an effort to warm her back up. As he grew more aware of his surroundings he noted that he was bare beneath his covers - he concluded that Amaya was too when he moved and his leg brushed her side, he felt only her soft skin. His thoughts travelled back to the night before and where their explorations had taken one another. He smiled again.   
Sasuke opened his eyes again, this time with a start - he had fallen asleep again. He glanced to his left again but saw Amaya sat up beside him. “Are you alright?” 

Amaya rubbed her eyes, “how long have we been asleep?” 

Sasuke stretched and sat up with her. “I don’t know.” He looked ahead at the smouldering embers and then to the warm glow that lit Amaya’s bare skin. “You’re not shy, are you?” 

“Should I be?” Amaya challenged with a wink. She crawled forward slightly and pushed he fresh firewood they had brought in with them into the ashes and she sat back beside Sasuke, “if you light it I will make you breakfast.” 

Sasuke shot a quick flame and watched as the wood was engulfed. He looked long at Amaya and found his heart suddenly beating faster. “Last night-…” 

Amaya gave his side a nudge with her sharp elbow, “if you say ‘a mistake’ I will kill you right now.” 

“I was going to say ‘good’ but if you want to make presumptions I won’t stop you.” 

Amaya tilted her head to the side and played coy, “just good?” She toyed, “not incredible? Not mind blowing? Not a defining moment in your life?” 

Sasuke chuckled and reached for his trousers. “I’m not good at expressing myself.” He gave in answer to her questions as he stood and pulled on his trousers. “But I am hungry-…” his stomach cut him off with a knowing rumble. He squatted beside Amaya and found his shirt tangled in the covers, Amaya’s hand stopped his. He eyed her with curiosity. 

“Keep it off.” Amaya said as she reached her fingers into Sasuke’s hair, “I need to cut all of this off - it’s much too long.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “breakfast first?” 

Amaya pulled on Sasuke’s shirt and stood, her bones cracked as she did and brought her great relief. She went to her pack and searched it, “I actually don’t have any breakfast suggestions.” She mused, “I imagined you would just throw me down and take me again.” She rested on her on her knees and glanced to the fire and thought for a moment. “I could catch a bird? Or there might be bats in here.” 

“I don’t want to eat a bat, Amaya.” 

Amaya mimicked Sasuke playfully before look at him seriously. “What would you suggest?” 

Sasuke sighed and ran his fingers through his hair - he noticed then it had indeed gotten long. “There’s a small town not too far away, we could get something there.” He watched Amaya grin and pull through her belongings, he felt a sudden sense of dread when she wielded a pair of scissors at him and snipped them menacingly. “Hair first, then?” He sat down beside the fire and waited for Amaya to come to him. He felt her fingers in her hair and he recalled their night together, the frenzied grabbing - the hard, laboured breaths as their lungs heaved to calm their bodies down. He rarely thought about what it would be like to be intimate with a woman and in a way he was glad he hadn’t - it had made the act itself a lot more surprising and exciting. His rapturous thoughts were knocked aside when he heard a snip and Amaya gasp in horror.


	14. Chapter 14

_Itachi glanced down at Amaya as she walked beside him, they neared her apartment just as the sun sunk behind the walls of the village. He listened to her chatter about what a wonderful meal Mikoto had cooked and that she hoped one day she would be able to cook bountiful feasts for her friends and family. She spoke about one day owning a small flower shop, having family and many friends. “I had something I wanted to ask you, Amaya.” He said as their feet stopped outside of Amaya’s door. He looked down at her again and saw that juvenile curiosity he enjoyed so much in her, he was glad that despite her maturity she still had childlike qualities._

_“Are you going to ask me to train you in the art of water jutsu?”_

_Itachi found himself smiling at her assuredness in her own abilities. “Mother asked me to ask you if you wanted to come away with us - we own a small house in Yukigakure and usually for the winter season we go there as a family to enjoy the snow for a week or so.” He watched as Amaya’s mouth hung. “Your jaw will drop off your skull if you keep your mouth open any longer.” He pushed her chin gently until her mouth shut. “We leave in a few days.” He studied Amaya in her silence and saw her look down at her feet shyly - even on the day he met her she hadn’t been so reserved. “Are you upset?”_

_Amaya shook her head and looked up at Itachi, he was much taller than her - she hoped one day she would catch up to him. “I don’t know what to say.” She gripped her bag strap for comfort. “I’m not your family.”_

_Itachi knelt in front of Amaya and pushed her wild hair out of her eyes, “you don’t have the sharingan, nor the dark hair - your eyes are like rain instead of the night sky…but you are family, Amaya, you know that deep down.” He watched Amaya smile abashedly, “Mother loves you dearly, Father actually remembers your name and asks me frequently about your training, Sasuke is enormously jealous of you and he resents that you’re stronger than him - and me? You’re the sister I never got to have.” He held Amaya’s shoulders, “pack enough clothes for a week, wrap warm and when you come for dinner in two nights time we will eat and leave.” He stood to his full height and felt his heart swell when he saw Amaya bouncing on her toes excitedly away from him. “But there is one rule we all follow whilst we are there.” He had captured Amaya’s attention again with his serious tone, he formed quick seals and the air burst with pretty embers. “Jutsu’s are banned.”_

_Amaya gawked at the sparks in the air, she had fixated on them so much that she hadn’t noticed Itachi disappear. She wandered up to her small apartment and stood in the bare room she called home. “No jutsu?”_

_*****_

_Surrounded, sunk deep in the dense embrace of the forest, sat a small house. Tall evergreens stretched to greet the sky and in response the skies released beautiful white snow. Standing in the natural clearing was a family of five. Each of them inhaled the crisp mid afternoon air and felt their lungs grow within the nurturing grasp of their surroundings. Fugaku stepped forward, “Come on then, we better get in - it’s too cold to be stood out here.”_

_Amaya exchanged a glance with Sasuke, “it’s not even cold.” And she received a warning nudge from Itachi. Her cheeks heated considerably and in that moment she was much too hot and wished she could shove her face in a cool drift of snow. She followed the family inside and looked in awe at the space she stood in. It was vast, much more so than she had anticipated from the modest facade - she removed her shoes in the genkan and took a step up into the open living area. A large kotatsu centred this room. She watched as everyone knew exactly where to go and what to do and for a moment she felt lost. Her eyes frantically bounced from Sasuke clearing away all of their shoes, to Itachi arriving back in the room with armfuls of comfy floor cushions, Fugaku was at the fuse box shouting through to Mikoto who confirmed what was switching on and what was not._

_“Amaya?”_

_Amaya turned and Sasuke waved for her, she went to him and helped him fold their large coats. “Do you come here every winter?”_

_Sasuke shook his head, “we haven’t come for a while but Mother insisted we should this year because you don’t have a family.”_

_Amaya flicked her eyes to Mikoto, who now unloaded their packed food into the cupboards - Amaya wished in that moment that she had the dark hair and eyes of the Uchiha, that at least in appearance she would seem to be part of their unit. She continued to quietly follow Sasuke and Itachi’s instructions until nightfall. She relaxed into the futon and peaked out from the heavy covers when Mikoto entered. She sat up out of politeness and bowed her head._

_“You seemed quiet at dinner.” Mikoto said softly as she sat beside Amaya. “Are you uncomfortable being away from Konoha?”_

_Amaya shook her head, “I’m used to sleeping in different places.” Amaya furrowed her brow, “Sasuke said you haven’t come here for a while…and that you have done so because of me.”_

_Mikoto reached out to Amaya and pushed her long hair behind her ear. “It upsets me knowing you live alone.”_

_“There are other kids in the building like me - there’s a blonde kid who only ever eats ramen and he shouts a lot.” Amaya said in hope of trying to erase the pitying look in Mikoto’s eyes. “I have friends.”_

_“I don’t want you to misunderstand-…” Mikoto rested her hands on her knees, “You are a very sweet girl, very warm and kind - you must be very talented to have come to Konoha to train as ANBU at such a young age.” She paused and held Amaya’s gaze, “I have come to love you like a daughter, Amaya. My boys worship the ground you walk on,” she watched Amaya’s lip curl contest of the final statement, “admittedly Sasuke shows it in funny ways - but nonetheless you have become a part of our little family.”_

_Amaya inhaled quickly, “will you teach me how to cook?”_

_Mikoto was taken aback by the sudden question. “You cook very well and I would like to learn - the other kids in my building don’t eat as well as I do.” Amaya said the last part very quietly and she set her blue eyes to the window where the snow fell. “I would like to be a mother one day and I don’t have one to teach me to cook.”_

_Mikoto felt her throat tighten. “Not even in Kirigakure?”_

_Amaya smiled and shrugged her shoulders, “I lived in an orphanage before I came to Konoha - I was told my parents were both killed on a mission but often it’s easier to say that then be told the truth.”_

_Mikoto felt her heart thud in her chest, “what is the truth?”_

_Amaya watched the snow. “That many of us were given up for money - a chance a leave Kiri behind and start a new life away from the fighting. Many of us in the house were mistakes.” Amaya felt arms wrap around her and a yoke of emotion weighed heavy on her shoulders. Either way she had been abandoned, but being abandoned by choice seemed more cruel._

_“I will teach you how to cook.” Mikoto held the small child in her arms and tried not to make her aware that tears were spilling down her cheeks. She sat with Amaya for a long while in the moonlight, the spoke about what dishes they would make together until Amaya fell asleep.Mikoto slid the door shut and stepped silently across the hallway to the living room. She sat beside her son and warmed herself under the kotatsu. “Do you know the circumstances in which Amaya was brought here?”_

_Itachi kept his eyes on his book, “I have suspicions.”_

_Mikoto reached for the tea and poured some for herself. “Are there others like her?”_

_“Every now and again children from other regions are brought here to train.” Itachi said slowly, he was wary of how much he should say - but he himself wasn’t certain, it was mere speculation. “I believe Konoha is buying skilled children.”_

_Mikoto’s heart dropped. “To what end?”_

_Itachi shook his head and set down his book. “I’m not sure.” He glanced to his mother, “the day I met her I knew already who she was and what she was intended for.” He had passed her on her way to the Hokage’s office the night she arrived in Konoha. She wore rags, her hair was tangled and her face dirty - it was obvious to him where she had come from. The afternoon he had seen her outside of the Uchiha compound was one of fortune. “I will look after her.”_

_Mikoto reached for Itachi’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “she is a special girl.”_

_Itachi nodded solemnly. He hoped Amaya’s fate would be better than those other children who seemed to all but disappear._


	15. Chapter 15

Sasuke felt his heartbeat quicken when he regained consciousness. His sharp intake of breath startled Amaya, who waited nearby, and she rushed to his side with a stumble. “You don’t need to panic.” 

Amaya held her hand over his forehead in attempt to make sure he was well, “jumping through time and space isn’t normal.” She looked hard into his eyes, the rinnegan scared her. “I wouldn’t even call it a jutsu so much as witchcraft.” 

Sasuke beheld Amaya, the bags under her eyes had grown considerably since he had last seen her. “Was I gone long?” 

Amaya sat back on her knees, “a couple of days.” She watched Sasuke wince, “it’s okay.” She tried to soothe him. “What did you find?” 

Sasuke rubbed his eyes, he hadn’t anticipated being gone for so long - he hadn’t yet gained the control over his new eye he wanted. “Rain.” He said slowly, “broken buildings - canyons where towns once stood.” The scenes had shocked him, the moment he landed he knew where he was, he had only ever heard stories of the devastation. Generations had been affected there by the brutal sting of war. “Why would he go there?” 

Amaya relaxed, “he probably thinks that would be the last place we would look.” She felt a smile pull onto her lips, “thank you for finding him.” She reached her arms around him, it had been days since she had been able to do so. She pulled back and looked long into his eyes. “I missed you.”   
Sasuke touched the side of her face, her hair was beginning to grow back over her ears - he had always loved her long and wild hair. He felt his stomach twinge and a large growl responded to Amaya. “I’m very hungry.” He said with embarrassment. 

Amaya stood and held out her hand, “we can go to the nearby town.” She pulled him to his feet and she watched him pull on his cloak as she did the same. “I’m pretty hungry too.” She didn’t want to admit to Sasuke that she hadn’t eaten the entire time he had been gone. She had barely slept either through fear something might happen to him. She waited in the eaves of the cave entrance and found her eyes searching for the small birds that sung. She felt warmth from the sun and felt suddenly calm. Sasuke passed her and she felt her eyes immediately fixate on the area on the back of his head that she had assured was ‘not that bad’. What she hadn’t told him was that one spot was a cover up for another, where she had cut in so far you could see his beautifully pale skin. She smiled to herself.   
Amaya walked alongside Sasuke in silence, they had arrived in the small town and had taken a seat in a small restaurant. Amaya had ordered ramen - the biggest one she could find on the menu along with extra toppings and noodles. She watched as Sasuke decided what he would like and was growing more agitated the longer he took on his decision. 

Sasuke finally ordered and settled his eyes on Amaya. “You’re very impatient.” 

Amaya shrugged her shoulders, “I like to eat, you know that.” 

Sasuke leant back in his seat. “What were you doing whilst I was away?” 

Amaya felt her eyes widen. “Training, eating plenty and sleeping very well.” 

“Liar.” 

Amaya sneered at the accusation. “It’s the truth.” 

“You’re a liar.” Sasuke pressed again. “I know you, Amaya.” He leant forward, “you probably sat there and stared at me the whole time.” 

Amaya rolled her eyes, “you don’t know me at all. I had a great time without you - it was so peaceful. No complaining, no demanding - no belittling comments.” She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped in her seat. “You’re hard work, Sasuke.” 

Sasuke smiled and shrugged his shoulders, “I won’t be gone for so long next time.” He said to her, “I promise.” He followed quietly and he looked down at the table before him. He saw Amaya’s hand seek out his, he held it back and remembered just how soft and warm her skin was. 

“Ah, young love.” 

Amaya whipped back her hand in anticipation for the food. “Did you remember the extra egg? And the pork?” 

Sasuke watched Amaya list her complicated extras with a smile, even as children her appetite had been more voracious than a grown mans - his mother enjoyed the challenge of trying to feed her to capacity. He recalled many times when Amaya had fallen back on the tatami mats and held her belly in pain. He thanked the lady who brought his food and he enjoyed his meal, all the while listening to the slurping and the chomping from Amaya with fondness. ‘Don’t ever change…’  
Sasuke bowed his head to the staff as he walked out of the small restaurant, behind him Amaya dragged herself in agony. “Do you remember the time when you ate so much that Itachi had to carry you home on his back.” 

Amaya wanted to laugh but she was scared she might vomit. “Mikoto always made the best meals.” 

“Itachi came back that night exhausted. He likened you to a piece of concrete. He considered it training and didn’t do any the next day.” Sasuke recalled with a smirk. 

Amaya shrugged her shoulders, “I’ve always weighed a lot.” She stomped beside Sasuke to accentuate the impact of her steps on the ground. “heavy bones.” 

Sasuke had flashes of their night together, how he had thrown her around with such ease. “You’re not heavy.” He concluded as he looked away from Amaya to hide his reddening face. 

“When should we leave for Kirigakure?” 

Sasuke felt his stomach drop - in truth he enjoyed spending his days doing the simple things with Amaya, eating and laughing, going to sleep content and warm and then waking up and doing the same thing. “Tomorrow.”

Amaya grinned and gave his arm a nudge, “it will all be over soon, don’t worry.” 

Sasuke clenched his jaw, ‘that’s what I’m afraid of’ he thought with sadness. He reached his hand to hers and laced their fingers together. “Just be careful, okay?” 

Amaya felt both Sasuke’s warmth and his trepidation emirate through his hand. “I will be fine.” 

Sasuke frowned, “he already almost killed you once.” He looked sidelong and her and could still see the pink line that traced her brow - that was now the only physical evidence of the attack. “We both need to be wary.” 

Amaya scoffed outwardly but internally she felt glad of his concern. She gave his hand a squeeze and thought back to the woman in the restaurant, ‘young love…’ she echoed in her thoughts. She walked in silence beside Sasuke, enjoying the closeness they now had. “Did you ever think this would happen?” She looked up at Sasuke and watched him frown with confusion at the lack of clarity of her question. She have his hand a squeeze in response. 

Sasuke focussed on the path before them and he through carefully about his feelings and expectations. “I thought it would be one of the many things I would never get to experience.” He recalled the many times he thought he would die, the suffocating feelings of wanting everything to just end. “That it would just be another thing I wished for.” He said honestly. “What about you?” 

Amaya tried to ignore how hot her face had become. “After the war when I saw you again it was all I could think about. I spent months underground thinking I was going to die all the while picturing everything I wanted to do - imagining the perfect life8 with a husband and children - growing old and dying fulfilled. I thought about it so many times and every time you were the one I pictured being with. It was dark in that cell, I remembered my childhood with you, with your family. I remembered how I felt when you left. I spent years hating you and yet you were still the one I wanted at the end of it all.” Amaya felt her throat grow tight. 

Sasuke lifted Amaya’s hand in his and pressed his lips against against the back of her hand. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 

Amaya wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. “It’s okay.” She glanced up at him. “We’re here now.”


	16. Chapter 16

Sasuke waited with the ticket in his hand as Amaya panicked to find hers. “I told you to keep it safe.” 

Amaya mocked his monotoned voice before she found the ticket scrunched up in her pocket. She gave it to the checker and stepped onto the ferry that would take them to the Land of Water. She felt the breeze on her cheeks and smiled - the last time she had felt such a thing was when she was brought to Konoha. She had missed the sea.

Sasuke followed behind Amaya as she sought out a place to sit with a view, checking left and right for the best vista. “You haven’t been back, have you?” He asked in nod to her obvious excitement.

“I never had chance.” Amaya answered quietly. “Nor did I have anything to go back for.” She thought about her friends from the home, she suspected many of them were long since gone.

Sasuke sat beside Amaya and watched the port slowly disappear, surrounding them were gentle, lapping waves - endless blue from the sea to the sky. The salty breeze guided his gaze towards Amaya, her skin had grown paler and the bags under her eyes deeper in their time together - but what had been restored to her in that moment was ambition. Sasuke thought for a while about the few months he had spent with her, how normal their closeness had become and how sad he would be when it would come to its end. In that moment he felt his hand disappear beneath Amaya’s. He looked back out to sea and wondered if she had sensed his melancholy.   
Some hours later Amaya arrived with hot tea, night was drawing in and the air had grown cold. The springtime sun still did not have enough strength to keep them warm into dusk. Sasuke sipped the tea gratefully and he leant back on the bench. “What will you do in Kirigakure?” 

Amaya pursed her lips in thought but shrugged her shoulders by way of response.

Sasuke’s brow furrowed, “that’s a bit unwise.” He paused, “you need to have a plan.” 

Amaya bristled at his comment. “I have survived worse that Kiri, Sasuke.” She held a silence for the remaining time they travelled on the ferry. When the boat docked she headed off and made her way quietly through the small town. She hung by a road that lead to the next town and she stopped. “Where do we start?” 

Sasuke held Amaya’s arm to stop her from running off before he had chance to reason with her, “we need to just wait until we hear something - we can’t just charge around a nation expecting to find him.” 

Amaya pulled her arm out of his grip with aggression, “you said you would help me. So figure out where he is.” She seethed as she started walking back into the town. “We will ask locals when he docked here.” 

Sasuke lowered his eyes and shook his head, his tolerance was beginning to wear thin but his feet compelled him to follow her - he remembered what it felt like to be driven by vengeance. He found Amaya in a small hotel questioning the owner. He waited in the doorway until she came to leave. “Well?” 

Amaya shook her head and passed into the next building, a cafe. She bowed her head to the waitress and asked her if she had seen Ko, she described him and watched the waitresses eyes glaze over with thought. “I don’t have much time.” She pressed. 

“I’m sorry.” The shy woman bowed her head.

Amaya turned on her heel and stalked out of the cafe, she looked down the long streets all lined with shops, she turned back and looked at the boat that was beginning to fill again. “You go and ask around the dock - I’m going up here.” 

Sasuke watched Amaya jog into the next shop, he felt a pang of agony in his heart at her desperation. He returned to the boat and spoke with the ticket checker quietly once she had ushered everyone aboard. “Any information you have would be useful.” He implored in a low voice. 

“There was a man like that earlier today - he came in on the boat before you, he seemed very on edge.” 

Sasuke’s chest tightened along with his grip on the hilt of his sword. “How long ago?” 

“Maybe four hours?” 

Sasuke bowed his head in quick gratitude and he turned on his heel and sprinted the length of the street, he looked in each shop but saw no sign of Amaya - coming up to the end of the run he spotted a small flower shop and he slowed his pace. He saw Amaya knelt at a peony plant, her eyes were closed and and her hands clasped. He saw he lips move silently. He reached his hand to her shoulder, “Amaya.” 

Amaya nodded slowly and bowed her head to the owner. “These flowers bring good fortune and bravery.” She said with a smile before she looked hard at Sasuke, “the owner saw Ko less than an hour ago.” 

“The ticket lady at the ferry said he docked here on the boat before ours.” He watched Amaya’s lips pull into a grin. “We should get a move on if we want to catch him.”

*****

Amaya ran through the pouring rain, the sound of her feet slapping against the mud was the only discernible song over the crescendo rain. Her lungs heaved with the effort of running, she slowed to a stop and held her chest. She clenched her fists and looked up to the black sky in frustration. As her breaths grew more jagged with emotion she felt her eyes well with tears. She fought to keep them back when she heard Sasuke approaching, she had long since run ahead of him. Her heartbeat began to slow and she exhaled a cleansing breath and she relished the healing downpour. She sunk to a squat and reinforced to herself that time was on her side, that good things come to those who wait. 

Sasuke stopped at a distance and pushed his soaked hair out of his eyes. He took cautious steps towards her as she stood, when he was close enough to reach out to her he held the small of her back. “We will find him.” He assured.

Amaya nodded slowly and peered up at Sasuke. “I want it to be over.” She sighed with exhausted but hopeful smile. 

Sasuke beheld her with sadness. He thought about what he would do when their mission was done. He would travel the great wilderness alone, searching for forgiveness and a reason to keep going. “I don’t want you to stay here.” He could feel his body begin to shiver from how wet he was. His clothes were so heavy. “Stay with me.” 

Amaya smiled and shook her head, “I can’t.” 

Sasuke’s brow furrowed - his mind continued to torture him by showing flashes of them together, a child on the way and settled in Konoha…A family. “I-…” His words were silenced by a kiss. His heart sunk into the pit of his stomach. 

Amaya withdrew from Sasuke and looked at the landscape before her - high cliffs and imposing woodland, a sea of mud and battering rain, the air was clean and fresh and beyond, in the far distance, the clouds had parted to allow one beam of moonlight to pierce the din. “This is my home.” She closed her eyes and remembered running around with the other children in the rain, playing and laughing. In Konoha she had been widely ostracised, a foreigner in the Land of Fire and the eyes of most someone altogether untrustworthy and yet she had dedicated years of her life to protecting the people who loathed her. “I want to make a life here.”Amaya closed her eyes and the tears she had fought back before spilled onto her cheeks and disappeared within the rain that fell around them. “I might become a teacher.” She thought out loud in answer to Sasuke’s question earlier that day. She stepped closer to Sasuke and rested her head against his shoulder. “I could have my own little team of ridiculous kids.” 

Sasuke wrapped his arm around her. “You would be a good teacher.” 

Amaya nodded slowly and took a step back to look at Sasuke, “when they are strong enough I will bring them to the Chuunin exams - I’ll show Konoha what the Bloody Mist can produce.” 

Sasuke admired the blaze of confidence that engulfed her - he hoped his future path would lead him back to Konoha to witness that. However, his true hope was for serenity and peace. Sasuke’s jaw stiffened as he held back another plea. Instead he cupped the side of her face and pressed his forehead against hers. “I want you to be happy.” He said quietly. “As happy as you have made me.” He shut his eyes and listened to the sound of the world around them.


	17. Chapter 17

Sasuke waited with baited breath, his eyes flicked red with the encroaching threat and he lowered himself to a crouch in the brush. He had split from Amaya only minutes before following a trail on advice of the small village the had spent the night in. He thought to rush Ko and immobilise him so that Amaya could finish him off. He inhaled slowly to level is nerves and he made to stand, but he heard the whistle of a weapon through the air and he saw kunai pierce Ko’s leg. Sasuke looked left and he saw a vast swell of water travelling to one spot behind a rock. He stopped. 

Ko removed the kunai with ease and threw it aside, “you should have thrown something bigger.” He yelled into the cool air. “Perhaps the Uchiha you brought with you might have better luck finishing me off.” 

Sasuke smirked to himself and wondered if antagonising Amaya was a strategy. He watched as Ko slapped his injured thigh and bounced from toe to toe to show he was fine. Sasuke hadn’t ever seen someone so assured of their own skills. He glanced left and took in a sharp breath…the air was dry. The sound of cracking came from the rock he knew Amaya was behind and with a sudden surge of unrelenting energy the boulder shattered into dust and an enormous wave of energy spread through the air. He was in awe of her…The Shrike.

Amaya stepped forward slowly, her pace building as the thumps in her heart grew louder. “You won’t survive this.” 

“I thought you wouldn’t survive Root, but shit happens.” Ko readied himself. 

Amaya smirked and started to sprint, all the while the lashing tendrils of her jutsu grew larger from the soaked earth she ran across. She pulled her right arm up above her head and allowed the water to lunge ahead of her, crashing through the trees to forge a clearer path. Her pace quickened and she the gap was closing, she anticipated Ko’s jump up and she drove her spines up, narrowly missing him before he disappeared in a ball of fire. Steam flooded the woodland. 

“Your anger will open you up to mistakes.”

Amaya searched for the voice with her wild eyes, her hunger for revenge maddened her. 

“Who’d have thought a girl worth mere pennies would become so fierce.” 

Amaya blinked slowly but shook off the remark, a ploy she suspected as she released a few of her long reaching arms back into the earth. She stood straight as the steam dissipated and saw a shadow before her, she clenched her fist and launched a lashing whip at it - a rock. She steadied her breath in attempt to regain some composure but a smack came to the back of her knee and she was thrown a few feet, spinning to look at her attacker she felt a knife slice through her arm. She rolled back quickly and put a few paces between herself and Ko. “You should have aimed for my throat.” She hopped back again and looked hard at him. “You’re not fighting hard enough.” 

“I’m lazy, you know that.” His deep voice drawled. “That’s why they gave you to me, you were a better fighter but I was a better leader…smarter.” He bared his teeth, “I had the advantage over you simply because you were foreign scum, bought to be mine - bought to keep me alive.” 

Amaya narrowed her eyes. 

“My father bought slaves like you for people like me. People who needed someone to blame if something went wrong.” Ko grinned, “you were trained to look after me, built up enough for you to believe you were respected but ultimately you would be used for our needs.” 

Amaya gave a small smile and shrugged her shoulders, “why are you making up lies?” Amaya challenged, “I was brought here by the Hokage - it was part of a program between the Kiri and Konoha, to keep the peace.” That was what she had been told the night she arrived in Konoha, and again by Itachi when she brought it up to him.

“That’s not true!” Ko laughed hysterically. “You were sold to Konoha by your parents to that orphanage because Konoha needed little shits like you for sport. You were my property, Danzo took you to use you as a diversion - why do you think the whole village thought you made the attempt on Tsunade’s life? He needed a quick fix and he knew you were thinking about defecting.” Ko huffed, “I was pretty annoyed about it, he had no respect for my ownership of you.” He sighed and his shoulders sagged, “I was trying for something bigger. You made friends with the Uchiha not because they cared for you but because Itachi was ordered to include you in society so that you would become a friend to other children…trusted. It was hard to pull off because you were so odd and so foreign, but eventually you integrated and your net grew wider, eventually pulling in a massive catch - that little fox.” He paused and braced himself, “I wanted to be the most powerful being on this earth.”

Amaya leapt high into the trees when Ko disappeared, she kept her eyes on her surroundings and when the flustered scattering of birds escaping sounded she spun her long whips of water around herself, formed a fast moving sphere of protection. Inside she felt the water warm and the hue inside the shield turned orange. She recalled her last memory of her parents, the three of them laughing by the lakeside as the sun set. She had been told they had died and that’s when she was taken to the orphanage. She wondered if they were still alive. The hiss of steam brought her back and she broke through the bottom of the dome and landed in the mud - she released her jutsu and broke into a sprint. Behind her the earth was torn asunder as a flurry of fireballs chased her. Instinct lead her to safety and in a quiet inlet within the woods she thought about her circumstances and whether what Ko said was indeed true. She wished in that moment alone that Sasuke was with her. She waited. 

“You can’t hide, Amaya.” 

Amaya left her doubts in abeyance and she quickly drew together her huge chakra. “I’m not yours to erase.” She called into the din. She heard rustling and she unleashed tens of long, frantic tendrils. “I outweigh you in every sense of the word. I am not afraid of you and I am not daunted by being worth nothing.” She could feel a heat coming and the sound of singeing leaves. “You’re afraid of me and it shows. I have always known you were afraid of me.” All sound around her stopped and she knew this was the deep breathe before the plunge. She steeled her heart and screamed at the top of her lungs as she expelled hundreds of spines in every direction. She razed trees to the ground and shattered aged trunks. Far away to her left on a high branch and speared several times hung Ko.

“You couldn’t do that before.” A spurt of blood chocked out of Ko’s mouth. “When did you learn that?” 

Amaya pulled Ko towards her, she bared her teeth. “Years ago you dumb fuck.” She twisted her wrist slightly and relished the sound of Ko’s jagged breathing. “Why would I ever make you aware of just how strong I was.”

Ko smiled, “I thought your gifts had to be better given your title.” He felt his extremities go numb. “But you got what you wanted it seems.” 

Sasuke had followed the battle closely, he had anticipated more injuries on Amaya’s part but it seemed that what Ko had said was true, he was weaker than her by a significant margin. He regarded Amaya with anxiousness, he wondered whether she would finish the job. He emerged from the brush and was sprayed red with blood. He stood stunned for a moment. When his eyes readjusted he saw Amaya on her knees and her jutsu had vanished, along with her enemy. “Where...” Sasuke’s speech slowed when he noticed small shreds of clothing and even smaller shreds of flesh all around him. 

“I’m not built to torture.” Amaya smiled before inhaling a long breath in hopes of steadying her heart. She looked up to Sasuke as he closed the gap between them and she felt her throat begin to tighten. “This is the end...” 

Sasuke had been all too aware throughout the fight that soon his time with her would end. “In truth I wish you had struggled more to kill him or perhaps you might have had a thirst to keep him alive to pursue some other vengeful path.” He responded in a tone that made him seem aloof but he knew Amaya could read him much better than that. He sunk to his knees in front of her and reached for her shaking hand, “don’t leave me, Amaya.”


	18. Chapter 18

Amaya held Sasuke’s gaze and she reached to hold his face. “Everything will be okay.” She reassured him but the look in his eyes told her that he didn’t believe her. At that moment the sun broke through the thick clouds and warmed them both. She guided his downcast head up by his chin, “we have our whole lives ahead of us, Sasuke.” 

Sasuke had been plagued for weeks of visions of his preferred future and he felt misery realising that it would never come true. “I want to go back to that cave.” 

Amaya felt her cheeks heat and she laughed, “I’m sure you do.” 

Sasuke shook his head. “I have never experienced true peace.” He paused for a moment, “Waking up next to you is the only thing I want. Whilst you were hospitalised I would come back some evenings to sleep next to you because your snoring was the only thing that would let me drift off.” He confessed and slouched slightly as he grew more deflated, “I have known you for so many years and I don’t want it to end.”

Amaya nodded slowly and she kissed him gently. “We will know one another forever.” 

“I love you, Amaya.” Sasuke said quietly, he hadn’t even admitted it to himself but in that moment he suddenly understood all of his feelings - the yearning and the sensation in his chest whenever he saw her, the lightness in his heart when her beautiful eyes looked at him. “For years, in truth.” He remembered trying to bury all of his emotions whilst in the throes of his vengeance, he remembered finding it so hard to lock Amaya away. The day he saw her again in Konoha he felt the resilient pull of her as she punched through the soil. At first he had resented his feelings and her hold over him but the moment he lay down beside her to sleep on that first night in the winter he felt calm. He knew that outside of the cave blizzards blew but inside, with her, he was completely safe. 

Amaya lowered her eyes and smiled. “I love you, too.” She gave a sigh of relief. “I have wanted to say that for so long!” She expressed with zeal. She looked into his sad eye, “I love you.” She gave his hand a squeeze, “do you remember the flower shop...?” She asked shyly.

Sasuke nodded silently, 

“I first wished for that back when I graduated as ANBU - I suddenly realised that despite being trained for so many years to do just one thing I wanted to do anything but that thing. I thought about the most basic profession, the most normal thing a person could do and I happened to pass the Yamanaka flower shop as I was having my existential crisis. It was beautiful, lit by the new morning light, flowers of every colour were being brought out to the shop front in magical displays to entice customers. That’s when it became a dream...a very distant dream. The simplicity of waking up every morning, opening up the shop and making such wonderful bouquets. I would often think about it whilst on missions. Sometimes after I lost a comrade I would dismiss the loss and pretend it wasn’t my life I was living and that I did indeed own and work in a simple little flower shop. When you left I thought about it again, seems like it was a comfort in times of distress. I would imagine that I never knew you and I did indeed just own and work in a simple little flower shop. Years passed and I became harder and cruel and I didn’t need the security of the flower shop because I was strong enough to not need it as a crutch. And then when I was locked away deep underneath the city I would often wake from dreams about the flower shop. Starkly vivid dreams where I met the man I would marry but he was always just a silhouette - he always stood with his back to the sunlight. This went on for weeks, each day I was beaten and humiliated, battered and bruised...truly broken. One night in one of the dreams I saw his face and it was you. I felt like a fool for it having to take so long for me to recognise the shadow as you, because of course it was you. You have always been the one despite the fleeting crushes, despite even the prolonged ones. You would walk me to the shop every morning, kiss me on the top of the head and tell me that you loved me and I would go to work beaming with glee. I would talk with friends about you and customers in the shop would comment on our budding romance. Later on, after I was released I stopped dreaming of the flower shop, I closed it off and hid it away until eventually I got word of your return to Konoha. Eventually we saw one another again, you were finally back in my life but that triggered the saddest dream. You asked me to marry you. I could hardly face you in reality because I had relied so much in those dreams to keep me sane but I knew that the dream would never come true.”Amaya lowered her head when she felt tears in her eyes. 

Sasuke watched Amaya deftly, “what did you say?” 

Amaya let the welling tears fall as she looked back to Sasuke’s emotional eyes. “I said yes.” She reached for him and kissed him gently. 

Sasuke smiled in comfort knowing that at least the parallel universe versions of themselves would have gotten married. He quietly reached for Amaya’s hand and led her away from the battle scene. They travelled through the dense woods talking about old memories, some shared and some not. Sasuke was entranced by the stories Amaya told about her missions, long days and nights of fighting and bloodshed - the brutality of it seemed not to suit Amaya in that moment, she walked without a care in the world, her hair caught in the gentle breeze, her skin clean from the earlier rain and her eyes lit by the brilliant sunlight. In that moment it seemed as though she was just a simple flower shop owner.   
Silence fell on the pair as they found their way back to the small port town they had first come to. Sasuke knew that in the morning he would ride the boat out of the Land of Water and he was uncertain as to when he would see Amaya again.   
Within the warmth of their room he took off his heavy cloak, it was still slightly damp. He was glad of the sun coming out of the final hours of their travel. He looked to Amaya, who stood beside her pack counting on her fingers. “What are you counting?” 

Amaya shook her head and picked up her pack. “Nothing.” 

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, “food rations and known food stalls along the way to Mist?” He watched Amaya’s face glow red with embarrassment, he smiled and felt a thud in his chest at the realisation that he was having his final moments with her. He gazed at her as she made sure she had all of her things and he stepped forward, “please-…” he held her arm gently, “don’t leave…stay the night with me at least?” He implored. 

Amaya glanced at Sasuke and grappled with her thoughts, her plan had been to leave quickly and cleanly - she felt her stomach rumble. 

“We can go for the biggest dinner you can find.” He searched her eyes for an answer but her lips pulled apart and revealed a big grin. He managed to laugh, but in his chest his heart was beating rapidly, he thought she would say no. He walked beside Amaya as she moved at pace through the small town, she found a small inn and they ordered their food. He sat in awe of her as she ordered another impressive mountain of food and he sat quietly and watched her eat it as he slowly ate his own. They left the inn and meandered back to their room, he took off his shoes and his cloak and knelt on their futon. He watched Amaya take off her cloak and shoes and noticed the deep red stain on her arm. He waved for her to come over and when she settled before him he unzipped her suit and eased her arm out of the sleeve. “He wasn’t very strong to have only injured you once.” 

Amaya thought for a moment, “or maybe my strength was just so overpowering.” She said as Sasuke got a bandage and some water. She was content watching him gently clean her wound and wrap her up - when he had finished she frowned. “Do you think I was sold to Konoha?” 

Sasuke stilled. 

Amaya smiled sadly. “Given what Itachi was put through I shouldn’t be surprised that they would buy children from other countries to use for their gain.” She looked down at her arm and smiled, “an expert job, thank you.” She said as Sasuke’s hand made to cover her back up, she stopped him and held his gaze when it challenged her. “If you want our last night together to be both of us fully clothed then that’s fine…but surely not?” She unthreaded her other arm from the sleeve and pulled the suit down to her waist. She reached for Sasuke’s hand and set it on her navel, at the base of the netted shirt. “Take it off.” She lifted up her arms as the shirt came up over her head. She sat bare in front of him and the cool air pricked her pale skin with goosebumps. She leant forward and undid the top button of his shirt and did the same to him as he had done to her. 

Sasuke reached for Amaya’s face and lead her lips to his, their bodies pressed together and he relished the warmth from her. Their actions grew frenzied and they tumbled onto the futon, Sasuke atop of Amaya. He beheld her for a moment, breathless and smiling. “I love you.” He said again, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time. When she smiled back at him and reciprocated he felt as though he could cry. He decided not to think about tomorrow and savour the few hours he had left.


	19. Chapter 19

Amaya drew in a sharp breath as she beheld the gates of Konoha, they were open wide and through them she could see a spanning city sprawling across what used to be open space. Buildings grew out of the mountains and she could see a train circling the city’s perimeter. 

“You look like you have seen a ghost, Sensei.” 

Amaya faced her students and smiled. “I grew up here.” She waved them forward, “It has been fifteen years since I was last here.” Her blue eyes carried themselves to the stone carvings of the Hokages - two new faces had joined the five she had left behind. She felt her chest swell with pride when her gaze rested on the Seventh. She stepped forward and felt excited to revisit her past.She led her students down the old paths she knew, and new ones that she didn’t. The streets were bustling and full of life, from left to right, up and down there was colour, noise and light. “I lived up there.” She pointed out to her three students the now aged wooden house has had lived in. She could see a washing line with small clothes hanging between the window and the large tree that she had called her neighbour. 

“It’s a noisy neighbourhood.” One remarked, “it would be cheap to buy here.” 

Amaya narrowed her eyes, “Again, Hiroshi, not everyone has your fortune in life.” Amaya looked past him and continued along the path ahead of them. “This evening I will treat you to the best ramen.” 

“I want to meet the Hokage.” 

Amaya’s eyes rolled involuntarily into the back of her head when Hiroshi’s nasal voice ruined the musical chimes of the talking villagers. “That’s not possible.”

“You said on the way here that you knew him, that he had a crush on you when you were kids.” 

Amaya grimaced and cursed her previous self for being so caught up in nostalgia to tell her students such a thing. “Hiro-…” Amaya looked past Hiroshi and saw a familiar flash of pink pass into a nearby shop. She felt her insides burn. “Let’s carry on this way and maybe if you stop talking we will go and see the Hokage.” 

Hiroshi reared his lip in distaste, “I knew you weren’t telling the truth.”

Amaya glanced to her other two students in hopes of quelling her rising blood thirst, Ren - a quiet, steady girl from the village Amaya was born in, her speed and taijutsu unmatched by her teammates and many of the other students in her peer group. Amaya gave her shoulder a nudge and urged her onward to keep Hiroshi from wandering off. Amaya’s eyes settled fondly on the other, a boy - his demeanour was shy and his voice quiet. “Kohaku…” Amaya whispered to him as she closed the gap between them, his shoulders almost reached hers now. “I’m sorry it isn’t like I said it would be.” She had told him stories of Konoha, a small city, quaint and quiet - the metropolis they walked through now was a much more vivacious picture. 

“It’s okay,” He glanced up and caught Amaya’s eyes - he smiled when she apologised again. “I know Hiroshi annoys you, but I would like to meet the Hokage, too.”

Amaya pouted and hung her shoulders, “I wish I never mentioned it, honestly.” She prodded Kohaku forward to join the others and she lamented once again her previous self. She hoped it would be as easy as just showing up at his office. As they meandered the streets she thought about her complicated history with Konoha, in the years of her absence she had bound the wounds and successful healed them. As they passed Yamanaka flower shop Amaya felt a haze of pink wash over her cheeks and she knelt at a basket of peonies. 

Kohaku glanced back over his shoulder and regarded Amaya quietly as she picked a few flowers and paid for them. He was glad she was so cheerful - he had noticed her anxiousness begin to stir when they passed through the Land of Wind into the Land of Fire. He looked away quickly when Amaya came towards him and with a grin he pointed up, “it’s right there.” 

Amaya glowered at the Hokage’s office, she could already see both Ren and Hiroshi at the top of the stairs. “He won’t see you!” Amaya called up, “he’s a very busy man!” She shrieked and gave a small wave to the passersby that glanced at her as they passed through the courtyard. “You better come back now!” She yelled after them before staring pointedly at Kohaku, “you’re really letting down the team, Kohaku.” 

“AMAYA?”

Amaya blinked slowly and snapped her head up to the now open window. From it she saw a blond crop of hair and a flash of orange. She held her breath as everyone around her stopped and looked between her and the open window that was now vacant. There was a thud and Amaya felt laughter escape her lungs. “Look at you…” She blocked out Hiroshi squealing in awe as he pounded down the steps. She felt her chest swell and she bowed her head, “Lord Seventh…” She squeaked when she was enveloped by loving arms. “Naruto…” She said quietly into his chest. 

*****

“I can’t believe they let you teach kids!” Naruto welcomed his guests into his office and he set his new flowers in a vase at his desk, “you’re one of the scariest people I know.” 

Hiroshi folded his arms and stepped around the room to inspect the various scrolls and empty ramen cups, “she’s pretty weak.” He said with distaste. 

“I wouldn’t be a teacher if I was weak, Hiroshi.” Amaya held a smile on her face, a well worn mask. “They are my first team…” she said by way of explanation to Naruto. 

“Amaya was ANBU you know.” Naruto put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes. “She is far stronger than any of you could hope to be. I have seen her kill a hundred men with one move and break a hundred hearts with just a smile.” 

Amaya held up her hands and waved off the awkward air, “it’s just Hiroshi that has an attitude problem. My other students are delightful,” she glanced back to Ren and Kohaku who had waited behind Amaya politely. She ushered them forward, “Ren and Kohaku, please meet Uzumaki Naruto - the Seventh Hokage and one of my oldest friends.” 

“Is it true you had a crush on Sensei?” Came Hiroshi’s interruption.

Amaya’s resolute smile began to waver.

Naruto leant against his desk and folded his arms with a wistful sigh. “It was the other way around.” He held Amaya’s gaze and broke into a quick laugh when he watched Amaya’s face begin to glow with embarrassment. He waved his hand and chuckled, “I liked Amaya first.” He admitted. “But then she liked me back for a while.” 

Amaya tried to ignore Hiroshi’s dark gaze, she knew that when they got back to Kiri that the whole town would know be beguiled by the tale he would spin - no doubt of some illicit affair. ‘I could leave him in the desert…” She thought maniacally. 

Naruto glanced past the three children and looked long at Amaya, she had hardly changed. “I never would have thought to see you back here…” He said quietly and his gaze shifted back to Kohaku, whose bright eyes gazed in awe at the ornate wall scrolls. “Where are you staying?” 

Amaya tore her murderous stare away from Hiroshi and held Naruto’s instead. “Outside, we have a small camp set up.” 

“Like poor people.” 

Naruto winced at Hiroshi’s tone and wondered why Amaya put up with such behaviour. “Stay inside Konoha, I know someone who holds a very high seat of power in the village - he should be able to swing some free accommodation for you.” 

Amaya bowed her head to his kindness and she looked to her students. “Go and gather up our things and meet me downstairs.” When the door shut Amaya let out a long sigh. “I age a year with each passing day.” She slumped against Naruto and relished his warmth.

“That Hiroshi kid is horrid.” 

Amaya ran her fingers through her hair, “his dad pays me well.” She said but when Naruto frowned she explained further, “Hiroshi is from a very well off family, Hiroshi’s father wanted him to be trained well but he wasn’t strong enough to get through the academy on merit alone - his accolades have all been bought for him…along with a place on my team.” She waved a dismissive hand at Naruto, “not all of us have Kage wealth.” 

Naruto sat down on the small bench he would often sleep on instead of going home. “You look well.” He commented, “your hair looks a lot neater.” 

Amaya smiled, “we’re old now - we need to at least look the part.” She regarded Naruto with gladness, his skin had the same glow it always had and his hair was still as bright as the afternoon sun. “I have missed you…” She reached for his hand and held it tight. 

“You’ve missed a lot.” Naruto said quietly. 

Amaya nodded slowly, “it’s hard to believe you have children now.” 

Naruto smiled with pride at the thought of his children. “You too.” He watched Amaya closely.

Amaya narrowed her eyes. “huh?” 

Naruto rolled his eyes at Amaya’s deceit, “Kohaku is the image of you.” 

Amaya snorted and laughed, “he should be so lucky! His mother is a good friend of mine, actually.” She held her breath for a moment and when Naruto’s stomach rumbled she took the cue and stood. “I better head down…” She touched the side of Naruto’s cheek with a kiss, “thank you for allowing us to stay.” She hurried with the scrawled address Naruto had given her earlier scrunched in her sweaty hand. She raced to the courtyard and searched for her students, her eyes caught them just arriving and her eyes settled on Kohaku, who carried the lions share of the packs whilst Hiroshi only appeared to be carrying one pillow. Her drumming heart relaxed when she saw him.


	20. Chapter 20

“You have to move faster than that, Ren!” Amaya called from the sidelines, “Kohaku, don’t be afraid to hit her - she’s not afraid of hitting you!” Her eyes travelled a little to the left and she saw Hiroshi sitting on his haunches playing his game. Amaya clenched her jaw and stalked over to him. “You have to train.” 

Hiroshi clicked aggressively on the device. “My father will pay for me to become a Chuunin.” 

Amaya knelt down beside him, “that’s not how it works.” She said quietly but she knew all too well the influences of money. “You will be protecting human lives, Hiroshi, you need to have the skills to do it. Money won’t bring people back from the dead.” She advised but when his clicking on the game was the only response she snatched the game from his hands. “Ren and Kohaku are working hard, so should you.” 

“I’m not poor, I don’t need to work.” 

Amaya hurled the game far into the woods and she stood sharply and turned on her heel to head back to where she had been observing her students - Naruto stood there with his arms folded. She stood beside him and relaxed her shoulders, “He will buy another one before the day is out.” 

Naruto gave her arm a nudge and he smiled. “The way kids are glued to these games is ridiculous. Boruto won’t stop playing even when he’s at the dinner table-…” There was a loud slapping noise and both of their eyes were drawn to where Kohaku lay with Ren stood a few meters away - her chest heaving with effort. Naruto flicked his gaze to Amaya, whose face had paled considerably. 

“Get back up, Kohaku! She’s fast and she’s strong, but you are smart - use your brain first and let your body follow!” 

Naruto felt a warmth in his heart. 

“Is Boruto taking part in the exams?” Amaya kept her eyes on the fight. 

Naruto watched the fight raptly. “Not this time, he’s too young.” He narrowed his eyes for a moment, “how old are your students?” 

Amaya tensed up in anticipation of Kohaku being thrown to the ground again, “14 - well, Kohaku is 13, he will be 14 at the end of next the month-…YES!” Amaya threw her fist in the air when Ren skidded across the ground. “Well done! Both of you!” She clapped and insisted for them to go again.

Naruto nodded slowly and ingested the information. He waved to the children when they noticed his presence, “you’re very talented.” He called. 

“Thank you, Lord Seventh!” 

“He didn’t mean you, Hiroshi!” Amaya shouted back. She closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself and she looked back to Naruto, “how old are your children?” She returned the question politely. 

Naruto grinned, “Boruto is almost 12 and Himawari is 7. They are both so wonderful, I would love for you to meet them. Boruto is just as handsome as I was at that age, and just as talented. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” He gushed, “and Hima is too cute - sometimes I cry watching her sleep because she is just so sweet. She’s the image of Hinata.”

Amaya felt a smile pull onto her lips, “I’m glad Hinata made an honest man of you.” 

Naruto felt his face heat at the thought of his beautiful wife. He thought for a moment about all of the wonderful things he had experienced with Hinata and he wondered if Amaya had experienced those things too. “Did you marry?” 

Amaya took her eyes away from Ren and Kohaku and she sighed. “I didn’t.” 

Naruto frowned, “was there anyone?” 

Amaya smiled sadly, “a long time ago, but we went our separate ways many years ago.” 

Naruto wrapped an arm around Amaya’s shoulder, he had wanted her to tell him about a wonderful husband she loved with all of her heart. His eyes wandered back to the fight and he saw Kohaku weave signs and from his hand a long lash of water grew. Naruto went rigid and he felt Amaya do the same. “That’s your jutsu.” 

Amaya smiled through gritted teeth, frustrated at the fact that Kohaku had chosen to use that jutsu in this moment - but suspected he used to to show off to the Hokage. “Don’t we all pass down our jutsu to our students?”

“Especially if they’re your child.” Naruto said quietly. 

Amaya slowly closed her eyes. “I told you-…” 

Naruto looked hard at Amaya, “there is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise, that boy is your son.” 

Amaya watched Kahaku effortlessly swing four long tendrils around his head, “why do you keep pressing it?”

Naruto held Amaya’s shoulders and made her face him, “because if he is that means I’m his uncle.” 

Amaya’s stiff muscles softened at the stupidity of his answer. “It’s a big job being an uncle.” She watched as Naruto’s eyes welled and she laughed, “but I think you will do a great job.” She held his cheeks and shook his head. “I don’t want anyone else knowing, okay?” She warned and watched as Naruto nodded vehemently. 

Naruto smiled gladly and looked back to where Kohaku was and he quickly laughed. When he saw Amaya’s quizzical stare he laughed harder. 

Amaya shot a sharp elbow into his ribs, “what’s so funny?” 

“The thought of you pregnant.” Naruto wiped his eyes, “Hinata was almost unbearable and she is such a reasonable person - but you? You get upset if you don’t eat for an hour.” 

Amaya rolled her eyes, “I didn’t have anyone around to be unreasonable to.” She said in bitterness. She remembered spending weeks without seeing anyone, long nights alone. She thought about the morning she gave birth and delivering Kohaku herself on the floor of her minuscule home. 

Naruto sobered and looked down at the ground, “I assumed you would have been with someone…” He wondered then who Kohaku’s father might be and whether he had abandoned Amaya by choice, or that perhaps he had died. 

“Shall we go for lunch?” Amaya called to the three children, when they came running toward her she looked to Naruto, “they love Ichiraku - would you like to come?” 

Naruto bowed his head and took a step back, “this was my lunch break, which I have run over - I’ve got a lot of preparation for the first stage of the exam left to do.” He touched the small of Amaya’s back and waved to the children, “thank you for showing me all of the amazing things ninja from Kirigakure can do. I look forward to seeing you again in the exams.” He winked and let himself disappear in a cloud of smoke. Back in his office he rested his head in his hands. He thought long about his time with Amaya and the time he had spent away from her - he had last seen her in Suna. “Nearly fifteen years…” he said aloud to himself. He had spent a long time upset at Sasuke over the incident and when he learned that Amaya had stayed true to her word and had returned to Kiri he was even angrier that Sasuke had spent those ensuing months with her. He stilled suddenly and began scribbling dates - Amaya had left Konoha in the winter after the war had finished, the final snow came the morning he found out she was gone. “February…” He jotted down, and thought hard about when he had gone to Suna, “April,” he had stayed there a month waiting for Amaya to wake. “May is when she left.” He had be told by Sasuke that they had parted ways in the October and Amaya had gone back to Kiri. He counted on his fingers, “it’s April now and he turns 14 in a few weeks, 14 years and 8 months later…” He covered his mouth with his hand and dropped the pen. He picked up the pen with his shaking hand and pulled a clean piece of paper in front of him, he quickly scrawled a note and went to the window for the hawk. He fastened the note to it’s foot and sent it flying off. His thoughts whirred on his way home when he thought about all of the precious memories he had of Hinata during her pregnancies and how proud he felt when each other his children where born. He stepped into his home and heard Boruto shouting and Himawari singing, he felt peaceful in that moment. He went through into the living room where Hinata sat drinking tea, he slouched beside her and gave her cheek a kiss. “How was your day?”

Hinata smiled and rested her hand atop of Naruto’s, “Hima and I went for a long walk to view the blossoms, Boruto didn’t want to come but he had prepared lunch for us instead!” She frowned when she looked upon him. “You look upset.” 

Naruto inhaled jaggedly and thought to tell Hinata but he decided against it. “There have been a few complications with the Chuunin exams - I’m hoping to have it all sorted by tomorrow.” 

Hinata heard Naruto’s stomach rumble loudly and she shook her head, “you missed lunch again.” 

Naruto grimaced and flinched when Hinata lightly slapped his arm. “I’m sorry, I was too busy - the Chuunin exams are very important.” 

“I heard Amaya is here for them…” Hinata trailed off and watched Naruto steel. 

Naruto smiled sheepishly, “I was with her at lunch time, watching her train with her kids- her students.” He took in a quick breath, “she’s a very good sensei.”

“You should invite her for dinner, it would be nice to see her after all of these years.” Hinata stood and set down her tea, “there were some leftovers, you better come and eat them.” 

Naruto trailed after his wife thankfully and ate the leftover portion of dinner that would have been his had he made it home in time. He had spent most of the early evening meandering thought the possibilities wondering what the next steps should be - should he tell Sasuke the truth, should he ask Amaya for the truth, get them both together so that Sasuke finds out the truth from Amaya… ’honesty is the best policy.’ Naruto thought slowly and carefully considered all of the avenues. From the window came a knock, the hawk he had sent off some hours ago had returned - he rushed to the window, opened it and took from the bird the return message, he quickly opened it: 

Sending for me at such short notice is an inconvenience and yet you still do it…

I will see you in a few days

Sasuke

Naruto thought he was going to throw up for a moment but he soothed himself and sighed a breath of relief. ‘The die is cast…’


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto paced the length of his office, back and forth much the same as he had done for the last hour. He felt truly agitated and a bit remorseful for having called upon Sasuke. His friend was due to arrive any moment and Naruto was drenched in sweat because of it. There came a knock at the door and Naruto whimpered and quickly steadied himself with a slap to his own cheek. “Come in.” He watched as the door opened and revealed Shikamaru - he relaxed considerably. 

“I just need to go over the final preparations for the first stage of the exam tomorrow.” Shikamaru said quickly before looking up at Naruto, he frowned when he saw how visibly shaken he was, “Is everything okay?”

Naruto nodded and waved him over to sit. “It has been a strange few days.” 

Shikamaru smiled knowingly, “is it because of Amaya? I heard she’s back.” 

Naruto inhaled a short breath and laughed, “something like that.” He glanced up at his calendar and leant back in his chair, “I can’t believe it’s time for the exams already. Soon Boruto and the others will be taking them - it’s going to be hard to let them go.”

“The exams are a lot safer now but the thought of letting Shikadai go out there to do harder missions scares me.” Shikamaru shook his head with a chuckle, “but when you consider the things we got up to, the things we saw...they will be okay out there.” He handed some paperwork across the desk, “besides, we’ve got six months until the next exams when we anticipate them to participate...and they could fail which will keep them safe a little longer.” He finished with a laugh but was interrupted by another knock on the door.

Naruto felt a heat spread over his face and he called for the knocker to come in - this time it was Sasuke. 

“You’ve not been back for a while.” Shikamaru greeted Sasuke with a half hearted wave.

Sasuke bowed his head slightly to Shikamaru, “a lot has been happening, which is why I’m a bit surprised Naruto called me back...” he narrowed his eyes on his friend. “What do you need?” 

Shikamaru winced at Sasuke’s cutting tone and he quickly stood, “if you could look over the plans and let me know what you think-...”

Naruto wished for Shikamaru to stay but he ducked out of the office quicker than Naruto had ever seen him move before. He shuffled the papers and glanced at Sasuke, “I’m sorry to bring you back on such short notice-...” 

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, “then why do it?” He asked in a gentler tone when he realised that Naruto wouldn’t have called him back unless it was something truly important.

“Amaya has come back, she’s here with her students to take the chuunin exams.” Naruto said quickly and he watched Sasuke stiffen. “I thought you might like to see her.” 

Sasuke focused on his breathing and hoped that Naruto wouldn’t notice any changes in his behaviour. “You called me back for that?” He asked levelly. 

Naruto’s brow furrowed and he took a step closer to his friend, “I feel like you need to spend some time together - I know you wouldn’t tell me much about what happened with her in those months you were looking for the ANBU guy but I know how sad you were when she was gone.” 

Sasuke inhaled jaggedly, “things are different now, Naruto, you know that.” He thought of Amaya and the last time he had seen her, they had woken on a morning so bright it was hard to feel any sense of melancholy. She held his hand all the way to the dock to see him off, she kissed him one last time and he had gazed long at her rainy eyes. He had held her cheek and told her a final time that he loved her. “It would be nice to see her again...” He trailed off with a smile.

*****  
Amaya woke under a swift sunrise, she stretched her arms out wide and let out a long sigh. In the other room she could hear Hiroshi complaining about the conditions of the inn Naruto had generously allowed them to stay in for free...much to the dismay of the owner. She dressed slowly and mimicked along with Hiroshi’s rudeness. She pulled a brush through her hair and looked at herself in the mirror before smiling at her appearance. She went to the adjoining door and slid it open. “I expected to wake and hear the Konoha birds singing, not you prattling on about your luxury holidays and lavish lifestyle Hiroshi.” 

“This accommodation is poor.” 

Amaya bowed her head apologetically to Ren and Kohaku before eyeing Hiroshi once more. “I pray your family never falls on hardship, Hiroshi, because there are much fouler places to stay than this.” She gathered up her things and waved them all over. “It is with regret that I now must take you downstairs for a revolting breakfast to set you up for a day’s training.” She corralled Hiroshi, who demanded to be treated better and took them to the breakfast room where they all ate - even Hiroshi. When they had done so Amaya stood and bowed to the server. 

“What will we be doing today, Sensei?” 

Amaya glanced to Ren, glad to hear her voice instead of the one she was used to hearing. “How to get out of a sticky situation.” Amaya grinned and urged them up, but Hiroshi stayed seated picking scraps off the others’ plates. “For someone who didn’t care for the idea of eating here you sure seem keen now.” 

“The food is nice.” Hiroshi responded pointedly but he jumped when he heard one of the doors slam open. He eyed the tall, dark haired man who had caused the sudden noise with displeasure. “So rude.” He chided as he stood and wiped off his hands on a napkin and dropped it on the floor. “I’m ready to leave now, Sensei. The company is not great.” When Amaya didn’t move he frowned, “Sensei.” He demanded her attention but she stared at the man who had just entered the room. 

Amaya swallowed the hard lump in her throat and she willed her gaze not to flit to Kohaku, she quickly laughed and pulled her students around her. “I have a treat for you all...this is another old friend of mine. His name is Uchiha Sasuke.” 

“I thought all of them were dead.” 

Amaya slowly blinked at Hiroshi’s comment and remained smiling. “I want you to all go to the training ground, I will catch you up.” She said quickly and shoved them out of the door. After sliding the door shut she finally let her heart begin to beat again and she turned to look at Sasuke. “Your hair is very long.” She was embraced suddenly and she felt Sasuke’s heart thudding against her. She smiled and held him back - quietly glad of his reaction to her. 

“I can’t believe you were allowed to shape the lives of three young children.” Sasuke said shaking his head. He beheld her and felt a fondness he hadn’t felt for a while. “You look-...” Sasuke trailed off suddenly and composed himself. “Have you been here long?

Amaya shrugged a shoulder, “around a week. I wanted the kids to really see Konoha, and to be honest so much has changed that I really am glad we took the extra time. The train is a wonderful addition, you can really get a good view of all of Konoha. And the food - there’s a new shop on every street I swear! But Ichiraku is still here and Yamanaka Flower Shop!”

Sasuke nodded and tried to hide the smile that begged to spread itself across his lips at the excited tone in her voice, “a lot has changed.” He said slowly, “the chuunin exams are a lot different now. There isn’t as much risk involved. I’m hoping that Sarada will take them soon.” 

Amaya’s eyes lit at the thought of a common ground, “do you have a student?” 

“I have a daughter.” 

Amaya felt a wave wash over her, something akin to the feeling when stricken by food poisoning. “Oh,” she nodded slowly and looked around the room, “and a wife too?” 

“Sakura.” 

Amaya’s stomach dropped and coughed, “didn’t expect that, wow.” She quickly glanced over her shoulder when she heard the sound of someone entering the room behind her and she turned slightly, “their first exam is tomorrow so I better head over to the training grounds.” She said quickly, by this point her back was to Sasuke. “It was nice to see you.” She wasn’t sure whether she believed the sentiment, she hadn’t felt so destabilised by an encounter with anyone. She went quickly out of the building and hopped up onto the roof and easily made her way across the city without the threat of being seen by anyone as she wiped her eyes dry. She felt heartbroken but she explained to herself that fourteen years had passed and that she shouldn’t condemn Sasuke for finding happiness elsewhere and that it was her own choice not to find it for herself. She landed at the training ground and saw Hiroshi to be sat on a log playing on his game, Ren was throwing knives at targets and she couldn’t see Kohaku. She went into the neighbouring woods and smelt burning - in a clearing she saw Kohaku weaving signs for a fire jutsu but when he noticed her he stopped. 

“Are you alright?” He asked quickly but he was taken in an embrace to which he noticed he could now easily rest his chin on her shoulder - he was catching up to her in height a lot faster than he had been before. “Who was that man?” 

Amaya held Kohaku back and studied his face, he looked like her in all respects but his tone and directness he had gotten from Sasuke. “Just an old friend.” Amaya said quietly and she inhaled through her nose, “practicing fire jutsu?” She loved the smell of burning wood.

Kohaku smiled, “I was hoping you might know someone here in Konoha who could help me get better.” 

Amaya felt her heart begin to thud again. “I know someone.”


	22. Chapter 22

“You were about to fall, Hiroshi, I saved you.” 

“I feel sick at the thought of someone like you saving me.” 

“Don’t be so bitter-...” Kohaku lifted his bright eyes quickly when he heard a soft knock at the door. He shared a quick glance with Ren before he went to the door and pulled it open slowly. His eyes narrowed when, in the doorway, he saw the man he had been introduced to the other morning. “You’re Sensei’s friend...Sasuke.” 

Sasuke gave a short nod and looked past Kohaku to the other student’s. “I was hoping she might be here.” He was disappointed to not see her in the room.

“You’re not interested in her, are you? She may seem exotic because she’s from another nation but the men in Kiri are repulsed by her.” Hiroshi informed quickly and knowingly.

Kohaku shot a glare at his comrade, “don’t talk about her like that.” He bit and looked back to the dark haired man, “She went out to get sweets.”

“I heard your team passed the first exam, I came to congratulate her but really I should be congratulating all of you - well done.” Sasuke gave a small smile and looked between all of the children, “who scored the highest on the test?”

Hiroshi puffed out his chest and scoffed, “it was obviously me.” 

Ren rolled her eyes and pointed to Kohaku, who stood beside Sasuke looking bashfully at his feet. “Kohaku caught us all when the hall caved in,” she smiled with gratitude, “Hiroshi and I would have fallen into the ink if it wasn’t for him.” 

Sasuke glanced down at Kohaku, noticing a familiarness in him that he couldn’t quite place. “Quick reflexes?” 

Kohaku nodded, “suddenly...I haven’t ever moved like that before.” He admitted quietly.

“When it comes to protecting friends you will find your body is capable remarkable things.” Sasuke looked over his shoulder when he heard a gasp and the several soft thuds, he smiled knowing Amaya had dropped the contents of her hands onto the floor and watched as Kohaku rushed to help her - he did so too and rounded up the various packets of sweet treats. At this closeness he looked between Kohaku and Amaya and saw that they had many similarities - the shade of their skin, the water in their eyes, Kohaku had the same round cheeks Amaya did as a child. He stilled when his hand brushed Amaya’s. “here...” he handed her the mochi balls. When he stood he watched Kohaku carry the trove of treats to his teammates and he shared a glance with Amaya, “can we talk?”

Amaya swallowed the excess saliva in her mouth, from the moment she saw Sasuke’s back in the doorway it had built up like a swelling flood - she gave a short nod. “I won’t be long,” she called to the kids but they were distracted by the sweets. She motioned for Sasuke to follow her and couldn’t help but notice that Sasuke couldn’t take his gaze off Kohaku - in that moment Kohaku had forced five mochi balls into his mouth. Amaya prayed that if Sasuke was going to figure out that Kohaku was her son that it wasn’t because of their shared gluttony.   
She walked beside Sasuke in silence for a long while, she kept her eyes low when people greeted Sasuke and when they were clear of the bustling streets and allowed her shoulders to settle into a more natural position. 

“I came to congratulate you - I heard your team passed the first exam.” Sasuke started gently as he sat beside her on the lonely bench. Before them sprawled a large pond lined by budding trees. 

Amaya rested her fists on her lap, she hoped they would soon unclench. “Thank you.” 

Sasuke gave her shoulder a nudge. “Don’t be nervous.” He urged genially. 

Amaya smiled and shook out her hands, “I’m sorry for how I behaved the other day - I didn’t anticipate what you were going to say.” She glanced at him for a quick moment and felt her cheeks heat when she saw him to be looking at her. “I thought things would be a little different.”

Sasuke leant back on the bench and watched some ducks land on the water, “it seems you have been busy too...” He trailed off and when he was met with alarmed silence he sighed, “Kohaku is your son.” 

Amaya paled quickly and wished in that moment that some cataclysm might commence - a devastating hurricane, or a tsunami. “Is it that obvious?” She asked quietly.

Sasuke kept his gaze out on the scene before him, “I have never seen another person eat the way you do.” He chuckled when he felt Amaya slump on the bench. “He seems like a good kid.” 

Amaya smiled and exhaled jaggedly, “he is.” 

“Ren spoke very highly of him, that they would have failed if it weren’t for him.” 

Amaya laughed for a moment and grinned, “he’s very capable.” 

“He must take after his father in that respect.” Sasuke jested but he felt a sudden frost next to him at the mention of a father. He chose not to pursue it. “Sarada is the same.” 

Amaya snorted and chose not to make a cutting joke about Sakura. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

Sasuke felt still for a moment, “how much has changed?” He asked and sighed when Amaya nodded, “it’s not how I thought things would turn out. But I’m happy...” 

Amaya felt her gut twist and her heart drummed in her chest - it was so loud that she was certain he would be able to hear it. “I’m glad.” She mumbled before taking in a long breath. “Are you in the village often?” She attempted to change the subject in hopes that it might quell the tears that were crawling up to her eyes.

Sasuke shook his head, “not often, but Naruto sent for me saying that you were back.” 

Amaya clenched her jaw at his answer and she realised that Naruto had probably worked it all out. ‘You are a lot smarter than we all give you credit for,’ she thought through gritted teeth. She inhaled a level breath and held the edge of the bench with both hands. “I have something I need to tell you, Sasuke.” She continued to look forward and prayed for that catastrophe again - that maybe another evil organisation was about to level the village, or some demonic God might suck the life out of them all... “Kohaku is...” She halted her words with a hum and thought to run. She sucked in another breath, “...your son.” She finished and held the air in her lungs. Silence filled the air around them and her body trembled with the release of tension when she felt a hand rest on hers, tears spilled from her eyes and she covered her face with her hand. “I‘m so sorry.” She sobbed out. “I never wanted anyone to know - Kohaku doesn’t even know but he...” She cut herself off when she recalled him training the night before the exam. “He has a penchant for fire justu and he asked if I knew anyone who could train him...and of course I know someone, who am I to deny him such a gift just because I was afraid of what you might say.” 

Sasuke squeezed Amaya’s hand and continued to watch the birds on the pond. “I thought we were going to sit here and reminisce about the past, that I might admit something foolish and we would go our separate ways again...” His voice was low and it trembled at the end. He looked to Amaya and when her watery eyes met his a tear dropped from his eye and down his cheek, “of course I will train him.” 

Amaya smiled gratefully and when she was pulled against his chest she was overcome with emotion, she cried with happiness that her son would finally know the truth. “He first asked about you when he was five - I told him that sometimes mum’s don’t need a dad to make a baby. That stopped the question for years, it wasn’t until Hiroshi started saying stuff in school about me, that other parents had been saying. He asked me why I was unlovable and that’s why he didn’t have a dad. I told him that I made a choice to lead a life in Kiri - where I thought I belonged and I left him behind.” Amaya sat up and wiped away her tears. “I made a mistake.” 

Sasuke’s brow furrowed and he shook his head, “you did what you thought was right.” He leant forward and kissed her cheek, withdrew and held her shamed gaze. “I have never loved in the way that I loved you.” He said softly, “there were times where I thought to come and see you, a number of times I travelled to Kirigakure with that intention but I never had to courage to follow through with it.” He looked back out over the pond and on the edge of it he saw two foxes drinking from the cool water, “I wish I did have the courage.” He felt regret deep in his heart. “You never met anyone else, did you?” He remembered Hiroshi’s words that morning, when Amaya shook her head he lowered his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry.” 

“I would be sorry too if I married anyone else but me.” Amaya laughed but eventually sighed, “Sakura gave you a family, her love and a reason to stay in Konoha - I can’t grumble at that.” 

Sasuke smiled as he pictured his daughter. “You’re right.” He leant back against the bench and watched the ducks glide effortlessly over the water. “Would you like to bring Kohaku out here tonight?” 

Amaya nodded gratefully but she felt her heart pound in her chest. “I hope he won’t be upset with me.” Amaya said quietly.


	23. Chapter 23

Amaya held her finger to her lips and waved Kohaku over, “I have a surprise for you.” She whispered as she draped her cloak over her shoulders and passed Kohaku his, and when his questioning blue eyes stared at her she waved him through the door and left Hiroshi and Ren soundly sleeping. “Someone who can teach you fire jutsu.” 

Kohaku felt excitement pool in his stomach and he jogged ahead of Amaya, “at the training ground?” He asked loudly but Amaya hushed him. He walked beside her through the city - for late evening it was still pretty busy. He observed the brilliant lights and grimaced when drunkards fought in the streets. Beyond the limits of the city he focused then on Amaya, how rigid she was and how mechanical her movements were. “Are you alright?” 

Amaya rubbed her eyes and slowed her pace, she felt emotionally wiped out. “We are going to see Sasuke.” 

“You’ve managed to get an Uchiha to train me?” Kohaku’s jaw was agape. “They are experts!”

Amaya smiled and looked ahead. “I know I don’t tell you often enough but I love you very much, Kohaku. You have been the best thing I have ever done and I’m sorry that I was unable to give you everything you have ever wanted.” She felt dread crawl up her throat as the stepped into the clearing in the trees that opened out into the training ground. “I have always been guarded about certain things but I don’t want to hide anything from you anymore.” She looked through the din and saw a figure in the darkness. “Sasuke is your father, Kohaku.” She saw Sasuke turn and her heart skipped a beat, “he is much more than just an old friend.” She bent to her knees and held Kohaku’s hands, “I’m sorry I took so long to be truthful with you.” She searched Kohaku’s eyes for any reaction, there was none. She reached for his cheek and held it, “please say something?” 

“I’m an Uchiha?” 

Amaya choked out a laugh, “I would say you’re a Haruko but yes...you are.” 

Kohaku looked over to Sasuke, who had slowly approached, and then back to Amaya. “Does that mean I have the Sharingan?” 

Amaya stood and glanced to Sasuke, who was now beside her, “I’m not sure-...” She trailed off and hoped Sasuke might fill the gap of silence she had left. 

“Not every Uchiha is able to awaken the Sharingan.” Sasuke said softly, “but we can try.” He smiled and was suddenly enveloped in a hug by Kohaku, he felt a rush of emotion in that moment. He rested his hand atop of Kohaku’s head and ruffled his already messy hair. “You’re a scruff just like your mother.” He said and smirked when Amaya glowered at him. 

“I’m strong like her, too.” Kohaku pulled back from the hug, hopped back several paces and weaved quick seals and summoned to him all the water he could handle, four long tendrils of lashing water grew form his hand and he gave it a sharp whip and smashed the ground he stood on. He beamed as Sasuke watched and exchanged a impressed look with Amaya. He felt glad in that moment finally seeing his mother bloom. He released the jutsu and walked back up to Sasuke, “I want to be better at fire jutsu.” 

Sasuke smiled and pointed to a nearby rock. “From here I want you to hit that rock with a fireball.” He watched Kohaku weave his signs and was surprised to see him succeed in torching the rock. He arched an eyebrow and looked to Amaya. “He’s good.” 

“He graduated top of his class.” Amaya scoffed. “Leagues ahead of the others.” She gave Kohaku a short nod. “He has a lot of inherited talent...mainly from my side.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes and focused on Kohaku, “hold your breath for a few seconds longer before releasing.” He watched the night light up orange when a ball twice the size of the one he had just seen filled the space. “Now, doing the same thing, whilst holding your breath completely halt your chakra input, at the second you want to release the fire flood your lungs with chakra.” He held out is arm and coaxed Amaya back several steps and watched the clearing disappear. The sound of blistering rock and shattering branches filled the air after the fire dissipated, he looked again to Amaya. “He favours fire more, I think.” He said with a smile as he watched Kohaku dance around the singed earth. “As I have said to you before, fire is a lot more powerful than water.” 

“Go again, Kohaku.” Amaya called and she weaved signs as another otherworldly fireball engulfed the area, she whirled her arm above her head and threw a large amount of water into the fireball - steam hissed and clouded the area. For a moment she waited in the fog and when it cleared she smiled when the earth around her was torn up. “Water can put out fire; wash away the earth; it can wear down metal and sweep it away. Even wood, which is its natural complement, cannot survive without water.” She lifted her eyes to the clear sky, “I may not be stronger than you, Sasuke, but I’m stronger than most.” 

Sasuke bowed his head in respect of Amaya and looked to a drenched Kohaku. “You need to be ready for your next exam tomorrow, so perhaps we should call it a night?” Sasuke said but smiled in disbelief when Kohaku pouted the exact same way Amaya did. He rested his hand on Kohaku’s shoulder, “pushing yourself too far tonight could cost you.”

Amaya nodded resolutely beside Sasuke, “he’s right.” She agreed and looked up to Sasuke, “let’s head back.”   
Outside of their room Amaya ushered Kohaku back inside, she stood in silence for a moment before she let out a cleansing breath. “What about Sakura and Sarada...will you tell them?” 

Sasuke frowned and let his shoulders sag, “I’m not sure what I should do.” 

“It would be messy.” Amaya inhaled jaggedly and shook her head. “Thank you for tonight.” She gave his arm an awkward slap and took a step back. “I’ll see you soon mostly likely.” 

Sasuke bowed his head and waiting in the doorway long after Amaya had gone inside the room. He listened to the silence for a time before he turned and left the building. He wound his way through the streets of Konoha until he found himself passing Naruto’s office - he noticed the lights were still on so he leapt up to the balcony and found Naruto to be inside. He slid open the door and startled his friend. “Did you know?”

Naruto wiped the drool from his cheek, he had been dozing for a while. “Huh?” 

“Kohaku.” 

Naruto’s eyes widened but he quickly shut them, “isn’t that Amaya’s student?” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat in front of Naruto. “And my son.” 

Naruto’s mouth scrunched up and he bit the inside of his cheeks. 

Sasuke softened his hard features and managed a smile, “that’s the real reason why you called for me, wasn’t it?” 

Naruto wheezed out the air he hadn’t realised he had imprisoned in his lungs and gulped in fresh oxygen. “I had to get you here.”

“How did you figure it out? He looks nothing like me.” 

Naruto smirked, “as soon as I realised he was Amaya’s son I asked how old he was - added up the dates...I knew you two had been together while you were away so I just put the two pieces together and ended up with a third piece.” 

Sasuke scoffed at his answer. “How could you possibly know we...you know...” He trailed off, bashful suddenly.

“Are you kidding me? You were with her for months, alone, travelling from town to town - no doubt you probably saw her naked at some point before anything actually happened and all of a sudden her body was all you could think about until one night you pounced on her - rapt with lust and pent up passion.” Naruto reeled, “besides, you were both so obviously in love with one another from the get go.” 

Sasuke’s cheeks remained lit for sometime into the silence that fell upon them. “She made the first move, actually.” 

Naruto laughed at Sasuke’s response and was reminded of his own experience with Amaya. “That sounds about right.” He soon sobered and considered the consequences of Kohaku’s conception. “Have you told Sakura?” 

Sasuke steeled and clutched the arm of the chair. “How do I say such a thing to her?” 

Naruto narrowed his eyes, “with your mouth?” He watched Sasuke’s face deepened with anger and he leant forward, “I know that it isn’t your fault being in the situation-...well it is a bit but you’ve got to tell her.” 

Sasuke grimaced and held Naruto’s gaze. “Sakura will go after Amaya.” 

Naruto nodded solemnly, “but wouldn’t that be an incredible fight?”


	24. Chapter 24

“I felt different during that exam...” Kohaku stared at himself in the mirror of the room they were staying in. “I’m different.” 

Ren edged closer and looked at him through the mirror. “Your eyes turned red.”

Kohaku’s brow furrowed and he stifled a smile. “It must have been a trick of light - I think I’m just tired.” His heartbeat quickened with joy as he heard an almighty shriek from outside and knew it to be his mother. He went to the door and found Amaya picking up what would have been too many snacks and treats to carry without a bag - and Sasuke helping her pick them up. He watched for a moment and wondered why they ever parted ways, he thought they seemed so comfortable around one another and acted in harmony with one another.

“Sasuke is going to treat us all to ramen.” Amaya called to catch the attention of Hiroshi and Ren and when they arrived in the doorway she smiled at her gathered students, “well done for passing.” 

Hiroshi puffed out his cheeks and edged away from Kohaku and Ren, “I don’t want to eat.”

Sasuke glanced between Hiroshi and Amaya and watched as her shoulders tensed. “Then you can stay here.” 

Hiroshi snorted, “for an Uchiha you sure are rude.” Hiroshi stalked into the hall, past Sasuke and down the stairs. “I will come under the assumption you are paying.” 

“The door!” Amaya said with a sigh before closing up the door with a quick slam. She walked with Sasuke, Ren, Hiroshi and Kohaku through the bustling streets of Konoha, they winded down the small back streets to avoid crowds and Amaya gave a running commentary on all of the places that she had visited as a child along the way. “I fell over here on this corner and broke my ankle.” Amaya recounted sadly. “I was unable to train for two months. The ANBU captains weren’t very pleased.” 

“You shouldn’t have taken my lunch.” Sasuke added to the story. “Your greed always got you into trouble.” He pointed to a particularly dark and grimy alleyway. “After she fell she still scooped up the bento off the floor and ate it.” 

Amaya paled with the sudden memory and heated quickly when Hiroshi, Kohaku and Ren gagged with repulsion. She remained silent the rest of the way to Ichiraku and only spoke again when it came to ordering her ramen. She rested her arms on the bar and sighed, she felt peaceful. 

“There you are, Sasuke.” 

Amaya’s blood ran cold and she stared forward, but still heard the sound of a kiss. 

“And is that...- Amaya Haruko in the flesh!!” 

Amaya feigned a polite smile and looked to Sakura, “hello.” She gave a slight nod.

Sakura roped her arm around Sasuke’s shoulders and leant lovingly against him, “I had heard you were back but I didn’t expect you to look so put together - you don’t look like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards anymore.” 

Sasuke held Amaya’s gaze, seeing that she was getting rattled, “Amaya’s team passed the second exam, we are here to celebrate.” 

Sakura smiled genially and gave Amaya’s arm a pat, “congratulations.” She sung gladly and looked to the children, “you must put up with a lot have Amaya as your teacher.” 

“She is one of the most vile people I have ever met. Eats like a horse, disrespects me on a daily basis and her training methods are ridiculous - she isn’t strong, and I have to say - if anything - I have gotten weaker since becoming her student.” Hiroshi announced exasperatedly. 

Amaya held her breath for a moment but Sakura’s laugh broke the silence before she could.

“Sakura.” Sasuke hissed in a low tone.

“What?” Sakura gave her husband a hard look, “do you expect me not to laugh at something like that? It’s nice to know that someone else finally thinks she’s a pathetic waste of space. I don’t know why certain people were so enamoured with her.” 

Amaya stepped off the bench and waved over Kohaku, “This is my son, Kohaku.” She looked to Kohaku, “Kohaku, this is Sakura - your father’s wife.” Amaya leaned closer to Sakura when her mouth began to hang, “he may have married you, but he loved me more than anything else on this earth.” She spat with venom, looked over her shoulder and nodded for Ren and Hiroshi to follow. “Always a pleasure.” 

Sakura chased Amaya out into the street, “I don’t believe you-...” She was shot a look by Kohaku, his eyes not the blue they had been, but the signature red of the Uchiha. Her body powered down and allowed the people around her to whisper as she watched Amaya’s back fade into the crowd.  
She lifted her head when she felt Sasuke’s hand clutch hers, she ripped it from him and bared her teeth, “when?”

Sasuke searched her angry emerald eyes, “can we talk about this at home?” He implored being acutely aware of the crowd they were drawing. “Sakura please-...”

“WHEN!?” Sakura shouted.

Sasuke felt his stomach sour and his insides turn, “after Suna, up until when we parted ways.” He said quietly. 

Sakura trembled as tears welled in her eyes, “and you loved her more than anything else on this earth?” She asked, when no answer came and Sasuke simply looked down at the ground, she let out a short sob and stole away into the crowd, leaving Sasuke at the centre of the writhing, cacophonous ring.

*****

Amaya sat on the balcony outside of her room. The moon was high and bright in the sky and her students slept soundly in the adjoining room. She listened to the sounds of the city and slumped her head in her hands. She thought about the look on Sakura’s face and she smiled, but then she thought of the ammo Hiroshi now had against her and that smile wavered. She heard a thud on the roof and within seconds she was joined on the balcony by Sasuke. “Alright?” She greeted nonchalantly. 

“What you did today was reckless.” Sasuke said in a quick and hushed tone, “Sakura is beyond miserable.” 

Amaya shrugged her shoulders, turned and leant her back agains the low wall. “It’s always been the same - she can give it but she can’t take it.” 

Sasuke gave Amaya a shove, “her insults paled in comparison - nothing will be the same for her again.” He watched Amaya shrug again and he bristled with anger, “I can’t stand this side of you.” He seethed and thought to leave, but he looked out over Konoha to quell his rage. “I should have told her before.” He lamented. “I shouldn’t have counted on you not acting like a petulant child.”

Amaya rolled her eyes but took in a level breath and folded her arms, “we will be gone soon, you can go back to having your happy family again.” 

Sasuke clenched his jaw, “don’t punish me for caring about her feelings, Amaya.” 

Amaya shook her head, “I just don’t understand it, of all the people on this earth you chose her?” 

“What was I supposed to do? You left me and I had to fill the hole. She loves me unconditionally, through everything...” Sasuke trailed off and felt disgust at admitting he married Sakura out of grief and not love. “I shouldn’t have let you go.” He stammered before putting his hand over his mouth to stop any other obscenities from spilling out. 

Amaya hugged her cloak around her body as a chilly gust swept through them. “We can’t change anything now - and what’s the point of wishing for anything different?” Amaya lowered her eyes and exhaled loudly, “I made the choice to leave, you made your choice to marry a fucking moron - neither of us are saints.” 

Sasuke clenched his teeth together and felt his strength waning. “It never dulled or went away...how I felt about you.” 

“It didn’t for me, either.” Amaya felt Sasuke draw closer and she looked up at him and felt that drumming song in her chest again, the one her heart always sung whenever she was within such proximity of him. She felt the same as she did when she was young - shy and exposed but strong and empowered. She clutched his cloak and reached his lips by pushing up onto her tiptoes. It had been fifteen years since she had kissed him and within a second she was held back it was as though no time had passed. In parting she felt a tremor through her bones. “I’m sorry-...” 

Sasuke held the small of Amaya’s back and opened his dark eyes, “don’t be.” He responded quietly before stepping back and bowing his head. “Goodnight, Amaya.” 

Amaya smiled and bade a silent goodnight to Sasuke as he flitted from the space on her balcony. She was alone again. After a moment she passed into the neighbouring room, she undressed and slipped into her futon. As heat gathered around her she thought of all the nights she had spent with Sasuke, in cosy inns and cold caves — she had never felt a warmth akin to the warmth she felt when she slept beside him. She felt tears spill down her cheeks and her heart pined for him for the first time in a long time - in the many years that had gone by she had quite forgotten what it all felt like. “This is the last time,” she promised herself with a whimper.


	25. Chapter 25

Amaya gazed around the large arena, it was far bigger than she remembered. She paced her box in anticipation up and down its vast length - the matches would begin soon. 

“You look nervous?”

Amaya turned and she saw Naruto in the doorway, some of the other teachers in her box - from villages far away - were gaunt and shocked to see the Hokage before them. “I’m never nervous.” She smiled at her old friend.

Naruto smiled and waved his hand in beckoning, “come with me to my box, there’s a better view.” He gave a small bow to the others who scrambled around as he was leaving. Beside Amaya he walked, she chatted about who she hoped her students would come up against. “You’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?” 

Amaya held her breath for a moment and nodded. “At first light.” She answered mechanically but she softened when she looked to Naruto’s sad eyes. “I’ve been here too long.” 

“Can’t you stay?” 

Amaya laughed and smiling at her despondent friend, “and kidnap two children from their loving families? Naruto I don’t belong here, I never have.” Amaya passed Naruto, who held the door open for her and she stepped into a huge viewing area, lined with plush seats, bountiful food and what Naruto was modest in describing as a better view sprawled before her. She took a seat on the edge of balcony and peered over the edge at all of the tiny people below her. She smiled as excitement filled her bones but sobered in the silence between herself and Naruto. “I suppose Sasuke has been filling you in on everything that has happened.”

Naruto drew up beside her and sat down. “I’m the Hokage, Amaya, it’s my job to know everything.” He said in his ‘professional’ voice he liked to use in serious meetings.

“I’m glad that Kohaku knows now who his father is.” Amaya admitted carefully, “but I miss feeling calm. I had a horrible pregnancy, I was isolated and lonely. I spent every day alone unless I walked into the small village that was near my cottage, then I would get odd stares - people would smile if they spoke to me but as soon as I walked away those smiles would sour and they would turn to talk to their neighbour. I suspect seeing someone so young so heavily pregnant and obviously without a partner disgusted them. Perhaps had I had stayed with Sasuke and they had seen us walking together hand in hand, buying sweet treats and pretty flowers then maybe I would have been viewed more kindly. The day Kohaku was born was the best I’ve had in my life so far because quite simply I wasn’t alone anymore. He came out quiet, he didn’t cry - he just stared at me with those huge blue eyes. I never felt sad that he didn’t look like Sasuke because my heart was truly broken having to leave him and I fear I wouldn’t have loved Kohaku the same way had he have been born with Sasuke’s dark hair and eyes.” Amaya paused, “Raising Kohaku has been my greatest accomplishment, I was happy to be with just him and only every once in a while did I think about Sasuke...” Amaya’s voice began to shake towards the end of her sentence. “I want my son to have a father but I’m afraid of the trouble it will cause.” 

Naruto narrowed his eyes, “with Sakura?” He listened to Amaya snort and he smiled at her hardheadedness. “Feelings?” 

Amaya nodded with shame. “I kissed him last night.” 

Naruto frowned and he grappled with his loyalties, he opened his mouth to scold Amaya but she sighed and wiped her eyes - he stopped and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “it must be hard.” He consoled.

“To love someone you can’t have? It fucking sucks.” She managed to laugh through her tears, she shot a look at the door when she heard it open and saw Sasuke - she quickly shielded her face and wiped her cheeks dry. She glowered at Naruto, who now stood and announced with a feigned and disappointed sigh that he had urgent business elsewhere. “You need to stop abusing your power like this.” She hissed. She watched Naruto pass Sasuke with a nod and she stole her gaze away and looked out over the huge arena. When she felt Sasuke sit beside her she relaxed despite herself. “How is Sakura?” 

Sasuke flicked his gaze to Amaya and thought not to answer her disingenuous questions. “I’m staying in the Hokage’s office on the sofa.” He felt relief in having someone to confide in.

Amaya grimaced. “You did get another woman pregnant so I can understand that reaction.” Amaya chuckled.

“I got you pregnant first and I knew nothing about it so really I should be able to sleep in my bed.” Sasuke shook his head. “Amaya-...”

“If you’re going to mention last night please don’t. I wanted to feel like I was eighteen again and to be quite honest have you seen yourself? Stood there in the moonlight like that? I’m only human Sasuke - a very lonely human.” She blurted out with her hands held up in apology and when she heard Sasuke laugh her cheeks lit red.

“I was just going to ask if you would move over a bit - I’m hanging off the edge.” Sasuke smiled and when Amaya fired across to the far end of the seat he touched the space she had left behind. “I’m sorry I left like I did but I knew if I had stayed-...” he trailed off felt a small smile pull onto his lips. 

Amaya found her strength, “I’d rather you remember me for the voracious youth I was, not an out of practice pensioner.” She looked to Sasuke and thought, despite her promise to herself just the night before, that she might kiss him again but like divine intervention a deafening horn sounded and suddenly the arena below them filled with all of the students who had made it far enough to take on the final stage of the Chuunin exams. Amaya leant over the balcony and screamed along with the roaring crowd.

Sasuke watched Amaya as they read out the names of all of the participants, she cheered even for Hiroshi, she screamed like an ape for Ren and went berserk when Kohaku’s name was read out. He smiled and joined Amaya at the balcony, he shouted along with her - for his son.   
There wasn’t a moment between announcing all of the names before the first pair that would fight were announced, and it just so happened to be Kohaku’s name that was called first, then Hiroshi’s. Sasuke stifled a smile and looked to Amaya, who bounced from the seat, up onto the ledge of the balcony and she howled. Sasuke felt glad knowing that without a shadow of a doubt Kohaku would pass his exam and that some small measure of justice would be bestowed upon Hiroshi.

“KICK HIS ASS, KOHAKU!” Amaya screamed from the Hokage’s box, she threw her fist in the air when Kohaku engulfed the arena with a huge and roaring fire and she looked to Sasuke, who’s eyes were lit with pride. She looked through the smoke and saw Kohaku at the centre of the scorched earth, around him lashed long tendrils of water - several more than she was used to seeing. She watched him quickly search out Hiroshi, who had hidden in some trees, and he razed the the shelter to the ground. She watched Hiroshi stumble out and hold up his hands, whimpering in subjugation. Amaya felt a pang of guilt in her chest for wishing defeat on Hiroshi, but she cared more about her son being victorious. 

“I yield.”

“Kohaku Haruko is the winner!”

Amaya hurled her arms into the air and screamed at the top of her lungs - far louder than any other person in the stadium. 

Sasuke could feel his heart pounding and he held his chest through fear of it falling out of him. Breathless he looked to Amaya, who was now sobbing as well as cheering and he too felt a wash of emotion spread over him - love. Unconditional, unwavering and unparalleled love. His body shuddered and he looked to Amaya, who was now knelt before him as though she knew in that moment that he needed comfort. He opened his mouth to speak but found no words, instead he felt a tear trickle down his cheek and in that moment he felt Amaya stand and he was enveloped in a warm hug against Amaya’s chest. He could hear her heart beating against his ear, it was thumping like the wings of a hummingbird, matching his perfectly. He held her back and was glad he had shared the moment with her. When Amaya eased him out of her grip he held her eyes with his, “can I come to Kiri and see Kohaku?” 

Amaya, during the hug, had grown a hard lump in hear throat. “Of course,” she squeaked with effort, “he’s your son.” Amaya smiled gladly, “you have no idea how nice it feels to be able to say that...” She sat beside Sasuke, he had grown since she had been with him travelling - in their late teens there weren’t too dissimilar in height, a few inches maybe, but beside him now she felt small and she had only just realised it. “I’m glad you want to be part of his life.”

Sasuke exhaled gently to calm himself. “I want to be part of both of your lives.”


	26. Chapter 26

“Two out of three, I can’t have asked for a better result.” Amaya sung as she held Ren and Kohaku tightly in her arms.

“All three would obviously have been the best result.” Hiroshi, who stood away from the celebrating trio, scoffed. “It was unfair, Kohaku received special training and Ren was just lucky.”

Ren frowned and pulled out of Amaya’s embrace, “I beat that kid to a pulp, how is that lucky? It’s skill, Hiroshi. You train hard and you win.” 

Kohaku did the same. “Skill isn’t something you can buy with money. If you had trained you wouldn’t still be a genin.” 

Amaya’s lips were pulled tight, she thought to intercede but she was enjoying their bickering. She felt Naruto draw up beside her, they were stood at the gates of Konoha. “Now’s not the time to argue, we have company.” She watched all three of her students bow their heads to the Hokage. “I need to keep you around, they have much more respect for you than they do me.” Amaya smiled and gave Naruto’s arm an affectionate nudge. “Go and argue elsewhere, I will come and find you soon.” She said when she noticed the melancholic look in Naruto’s eyes. When her students had gone she took Naruto’s hand and led him to a nearby bench. They sat for a while in silence and Amaya drew in long and cleansing breaths of the cool, early morning air. “It has been wonderful seeing you again.” 

Naruto nodded solemnly and he threw his arms around Amaya’s shoulders as he felt himself beginning to drown in his grief, he inhaled her scent one last time - he recalled the first time he had hugged her and his nose being filled with a sweet floral smell, he was glad that she still had the same smell. “You never should have left.” Naruto sobbed. 

Amaya pulled back from the hug and pointed to her warring students, they scrapped and hurled rocks at each other. “I wouldn’t have known the joy of them.” Amaya had hoped they might have all been laughing, or tying daisy chains around one another’s heads when she forced Naruto’s attention to them, but she enjoyed their chemistry - they all cared deeply for one another and she did them. “If you ever want a holiday you are more than welcome to come and stay with Kohaku and I. We have a wonderful home by a lake, fringed with huge trees and so much wildlife. I’m sure your children would love it.”

Naruto burst with happiness and held her again. “Please come and visit again.” 

Amaya stroked Naruto’s soft hair and rubbed his heaving back. “I love you so much, Naruto.” She felt tears welling in her eyes.

“I love you too, Amaya.”

Sasuke had seen Amaya and Naruto on the bench from the gate and rolled his eyes as he got close enough to hear their emotionally charged declarations for each other. “You two always do this.” He droned and watched as their embrace deepened - he struggled to understand how it could, he could already see them shaking from the effort of keeping up such a tight hold and even baring the whites of their knuckles. He signed impatiently and looked to Amaya’s students, he went to them and eased them out of their quarrel. 

Kohaku’s attention shifted to his mother and Naruto and he looked away with embarrassment.

“Has Amaya been with every man in Konoha?” Hiroshi asked and he pointed at them, “are you sure you’re not the Hokage’s son?” 

Kohaku flashed his sharingan at Hiroshi and watched him shrink back. He looked to Sasuke and smiled eagerly, “you saw my match?” 

Sasuke nodded and walked with Kohaku, leaving Ren and Hiroshi to sit and watch Amaya and Naruto sob even more animatedly. “I watched with Amaya.” He wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “You did well.”

“I wanted to scare Hiroshi to death and I’m glad I did.” He lowered his eyes for a moment, “you won’t come home with us, will you?” 

Sasuke shook his head and looked along the path that led away from Konoha, “I have responsibilities here, I work with Naruto so I am rarely in one place very long.” 

Kohaku ruminated on these words and he grinned wickedly, “so that means you will come and visit often if you’re not here?” 

“You’re a lot like your mother.” Sasuke chuckled and he felt his heart warm. “You are very lucky to have Amaya as your mother.” 

Kohaku nodded gladly but his mood saddened at the thought of leaving his mother behind. “It must have been hard for you to let her go...” He said quietly. 

Sasuke inhaled slowly and he looked over his shoulder at Amaya, who was wiping the tears from Naruto’s eyes, “we loved each other very much for many, many years even if we didn’t truly understand it at the time.” 

“Loved? Not love?” Kohaku pressed.

Sasuke shuddered at the likeness of Kohaku’s tone to Amaya’s when she would pursue things. “It’s a different love now-...” He said softly, “but love all the same.” He admitted and knelt to Kohaku’s level, “please keep an eye on her until I come to see you both, okay? Make sure she eats enough and that she sleeps enough too. But mostly make sure she is never lonely - she’s a very social person and she loves too easily, pick her up again if she gets hurt.” 

Kohaku shook his head, “you can tell her yourself.” He nodded over Sasuke’s shoulder to his approaching mother. “It’s my birthday next month, come and see me then.” He threw his arms around Sasuke’s shoulders and kissed his cheek, “thank you for everything.” 

Sasuke held Kohaku and buried his face into his shoulder, his clothes had the same scent as Amaya’s always had. “I love you.” He whispered into his clothes before letting his son pull from the hug. He smiled with gladness and gave his cheek a gentle nudge with his fist. “See you in May.”   
He stood as Kohaku ran back to his teammates, he felt pride in knowing he had a son who seemed genuinely kind. He glanced to his side when Amaya drew up beside him. “I’ll come soon to see you both.” Sasuke said as he watched Naruto slope back inside the gates of Konoha, his shoulders sagging and his hands desperately wiping away tears. “Naruto will be beside himself for weeks now.” 

Amaya inhaled a jagged breath, her body still wracked with emotion. “We’ve been apart for too long only to have just a couple of weeks together...and not even that often because of everything else that was happening. It’s a hard lesson for both of us.” 

Sasuke took slow steps to the left and Amaya followed him, “It somehow feels just as hard saying goodbye to you this time as it did all of that time ago.” He looked to Kohaku and then thought of Sarada and how often she seemed to be hurt by him disappearing.

Amaya shrugged her shoulders, “May isn’t far away, and you’ve got work to do here.” Amaya gave his arm a shove, “make sure you get off that sofa in Naruto’s office - you’re old now, before long you will get a bad back.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes but eventually smiled. “Things are going to change.” 

Amaya looked down at her feet and kicked around a few pebbles as they walked further into the trees. “Don’t settle for something you don’t want, okay?” She watched as he solemnly gazed at the ground.

“Look after yourself, Amaya.” Sasuke said gently and he lifted his gaze and looked into her blue eyes, “don’t be sad anymore.” He frowned when he saw a flicker in her eyes, “I know it’s easy to say that but-...” He trailed off and brushed his hair from his eyes, “I want you to find someone.” 

Amaya felt a flash of anger surge through her - defiance. “I found someone.” She said quickly before she turned on her heel and made for the clearing. Her hand was seized and she was pulled back. “You can’t say something like that!” She challenged when she faced him and her eyes welled with tears.

Sasuke held her hand, “I feel sick saying it because I want-...” He closed his mouth and swallowed hard, he forced the hot air out of his lungs through his nose and he closed his eyes for a moment, “I don’t want someone with a heart like yours not feel the love you deserve.” 

Amaya laughed for a moment as the tears fell down her cheeks. “How could I ever truly love another person after you? I never should have left you, I know that, but I couldn’t stay in Konoha - I had to give myself a fighting chance at a life after everything that happened. I needed to go home. I’m glad we had the time that we did, and from it I have a son - he is the most wonderful son. He is all I need now.” 

Sasuke clenched his jaw and let go of Amaya’s hand, he took a few steps back and sat on an old log. “We still love each other.” He pointed out. “You still love me.” 

Amaya sighed and knelt before Sasuke, “I do.” She said softly, “and part of me wishes the three of us could just run away and build a life together. But you have a wife and a daughter - you’re Naruto’s right hand man and I’m not sure if you remember what happened last time you left the village but you wouldn’t be allowed to leave and I wouldn’t come back here. I have a life in Kirigakure. I have a beautiful home and wonderful students. One of my friends there is due to have her first child and I’m going to be a Godmother.” She watched as Sasuke lowered his head so she couldn’t see his tears. “I will never find anyone else, because nobody else can give me what you have. I’m miserable at the thought of being without you but I’m glad we had what we did.” 

Sasuke cupped Amaya’s cheek and and ran his thumb along her lips, “you’re right,” he conceded. “And the truth is I have known all along. I love my daughter and had I have not come back here I would never have had her.” He gritted his teeth at the thought of Sakura and his complicated feelings for her. “You better make tracks.” He steeled himself and stood. When she did too he held her hard gaze and he felt himself soften. He touched her hand and held it again. “Goodbye, Amaya.” 

Amaya smiled genuinely, she felt deep sadness but she felt glad knowing they had spoken honestly with one another. “I’ll see you soon, Sasuke.” She turned quickly and jogged to the clearing, she waved for her students, “c’mon then!” She felt her pounding heart calm when they all came to her. She looked back and at the edge of the woods Sasuke watched, she waved to him and when he waved back she grinned. She walked ahead with her students at a quick pace, but she turned and walked backwards and beheld the wide gates of Konoha, “until next time.” She bade farewell to the city that was once her home.  
“Now, we’ve got a long old way to go.” She sung to her students as she skipped ahead further ahead of them. “And to get our blood pumping I think we should race to the next town.” 

“That’s twenty miles!” Hiroshi coughed. 

Amaya sunk lower, “exactly.” She grinned before bolting ahead, leaving a cloud of dust where she stood.

“You’re cheating!” Kohaku shrieked as he tore after his mother, dragging Ren with him. 

Hiroshi glared them all as they became dots on the horizon. “I should have just trained.” He sighed before starting at a slow jog after them.


End file.
